Consistent performance in a challenging market

The past six months have seen continued focus on transaction volumes as the market navigated a barrage of national and international turbulence. However, activity across auction has remained resilient, with performance holding steady despite wider market pressures. 

In the first half of 2026, our Partner Agents sold 5,884 properties via auction, a slight decrease on the 6,008 sales achieved in the same period last year, which was boosted by a rush to beat the Stamp Duty Land Tax relief deadline. While total Capital Value raised was just over £1bn, just marginally below the previous year, this reflects a stable and consistent performance in a more challenging market environment. 

Auction continues to demonstrate its strength as a reliable route to sale, with high levels of engagement from buyers. Over the period, there were more than 109,000 property viewings and over 35,000 bids placed, highlighting sustained demand and competition across a broad range of property types and price points. 

It’s no surprise that more consumers are exploring auction as an alternative method of sale, particularly as timelines via Private Treaty continue to stretch beyond 200 days*, compared to auction’s typical 56-day timeframe**. For agents, this ongoing demand is translating into consistent returns, with £22.5m paid out to our Partner Agent network over the six-month period. 

* TwentyEA 2025 

**From receipt of draft contracts. Based on grade one standard properties.