Residential auction lots up 8.1% as fewer homes sell

More residential auction lots went under the hammer in September, but fewer of them sold. The figures come from EIG (Essential Information Group, which tracks auction results), as reported by Mortgage Strategy on 16 October 2026. 4,382 residential lots were offered, up 8.1% year on year, while the number sold dipped 1.1% to 2,873. That gap is where I start looking for motivated sellers (owners with a pressing reason to sell).

How many residential lots failed to sell in September?

The number sold fell from 2,905 in September 2025 to 2,873 this September, Mortgage Strategy reports. The proportion sold fell from 71.7% to 65.6%. On our arithmetic, that is a drop of 6.1 percentage points in a single year.

Now run the gap. On our arithmetic, 1,509 residential lots were offered in September without selling (4,382 offered minus 2,873 sold). A year earlier the same sum gives 1,148 (4,053 offered minus 2,905 sold). That is 361 more unsold residential lots than in September 2025, again on our arithmetic.

The money followed the volume down. The total raised from residential auctions dropped 5.5%, from £533.4m to £504.3m, according to Mortgage Strategy. Supply went up, sales went down, and less cash changed hands.

What is the sourcing angle in unsold auction lots?

An unsold lot is not automatically a below market value (BMV, priced under what comparable homes sell for) opportunity. But it does give you a named property, a known seller route and a reason to open a conversation.

Matt Burrows, a member of the Propertymark NAVA Advisory Panel, said "the latest monthly results show that growth in supply is not being matched by sales". He pointed to "the importance of realistic seller expectations and sound professional advice". Realistic expectations cut both ways. A seller whose lot failed may now be more open to a sensible offer, or may still hold out for their original number.

So you may wish to keep a running list of unsold lots in your patch and check each one before you speak to the auctioneer. Our guides on property deals mastery cover how to structure that first offer. You may also wish to do your due diligence on every lot, including the legal pack (the title documents, searches and sale conditions supplied for the lot).

Before you make any offer, you may wish to run the numbers on finance too. If you plan to refinance onto a buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage, our free stress test calculator shows the maximum loan a lender's rental cover test may allow.

Is the residential auction market still growing over the year?

Over the year, yes. In the 12 months to September, the number of residential lots offered rose 11.3% to 40,064, and the number sold rose 9.1% to 27,303, Mortgage Strategy reports. Burrows called the continued growth in auction activity "encouraging".

The auction market as a whole softened in September. Across all lots, 4,903 were offered, up 5.7% year on year, while sales volumes fell 2.5%. The national success rate eased to 65.9%, and the total raised dropped 12.8% to £593.7m.

For sourcers, more stock arriving at auction means more leads to work through. Our deal sourcing hub covers direct-to-vendor approaches, and Property Filter's deal sourcing software can help you spot motivated-seller signals on homes listed for sale in the same postcodes.

Key takeaways

• Residential auction lots offered rose 8.1% year on year in September to 4,382, according to EIG data reported by Mortgage Strategy.

• The number of residential lots sold dipped 1.1% to 2,873, and the proportion sold fell from 71.7% to 65.6%.

• On our arithmetic, 1,509 residential lots were offered in September without selling, 361 more than a year earlier.

• Residential auctions raised £504.3m, down 5.5% from £533.4m.

• Over the 12 months to September, residential lots sold rose 9.1% to 27,303, so the yearly trend is still up.