Residential Auction Market
The first quarter of 2026 delivered a strong and encouraging performance across Allsop residential auctions, with three sales held in January, February and March collectively raising over £157M. The results reflect a market that is steadily regaining momentum, with buyer confidence building progressively through the quarter despite a backdrop of wider economic uncertainty.
January - A Confident Start
The year opened with a particularly strong two-day sale, with 330 lots sold and a 91% success rate, raising over £65M. Notably, this represented double the total raised at the equivalent sale in January 2025 - a striking year-on-year comparison that set a positive tone for the quarter.
The results pointed to a shift in buyer behaviour, with investors who had previously adopted a wait-and-see approach beginning to re-engage with the market. The mood was one of measured confidence rather than exuberance, with buyers returning in a considered way as conditions continued to improve.
Competitive bidding was a feature throughout, with several lots selling well in excess of their guide prices. A portfolio of properties in Southdown Avenue, Birmingham, guided at £625,000+, sold for £1.26M, while a lot in Balham, London, sold for £830,000 from a guide of £640,000. The highest-value residential lot was a freehold former care home in Islington, N1, which sold for £1.93M.
Lots sold
Success Rate
Total Raised
Lot 213: Flat 1-15, Southdown Avenue, Birmingham, West Midlands, B18 5LG
INVESTMENT - Three Freehold Detached Buildings
Sale Price: £1,260,000
Lot 9: 92 Cloudesley Road, Islington, London, N1 0EB
VACANT - Freehold Mid Terrace Former Care Home Building with Planning
Sale Price: £1,930,000
February - Sustained Demand Amid Evolving Conditions
February's sale raised £46M from 152 lots sold, achieving an 84% success rate. While the success rate moderated slightly from January's high, investor demand remained robust, with seven lots selling for more than £1M, underlining continued appetite for quality residential investment stock across the country.
The standout result of the month was Lot 181 - a substantial freehold mansion block in Marylebone comprising 79 flats - which sold under the hammer for £4.75M. Elsewhere, fierce competition was evident: Lot 1 in Wanstead, London, guided at £500,000+, attracted bids from over 40 buyers before selling for over £1.1M and a pair of properties in York sold for over £1.25M against a £900,000 guide.
The broader market context was acknowledged in commentary from the period, with investors actively adapting to evolving conditions and assessing the longer-term implications of the Renters’ Reform Act on their investment strategies.
Lots sold
Success Rate
Total Raised
Lot 1: 18 Leicester Road, Wanstead, London, E11 2DP
VACANT - Freehold Detached House
Sale Price: £1,180,000
Lot 181: 105 Hallam Street, Marylebone, London, W1W 5HD & W1W 5HE
INVESTMENT/VACANT - Freehold Attractive Mansion Block comprising a total of Seventy-Nine self contained Flats
Rent: £306,389.36 p.a. (equivalent)
Sale Price: £4,750,000
March - Strong Finish Despite Global Volatility
March rounded off the quarter on a high, with 208 lots sold, a 90% success rate, and over £45M raised - bringing the residential year-to-date total to over £157M.
The sale demonstrated the resilience of the auction market in the face of recent unease in global financial markets, with strong prices achieved across a wide range of asset types. Regional properties performed particularly well, with £27.9M raised from 39 lots sold outside London and the South East - a clear indication that buyer appetite extends well beyond the capital.
The biggest residential sale of the month was Lot 41, a leasehold three-bedroom penthouse in South Kensington, which sold for £3.26M. Other notable results included a block of 11 studio flats in Cricklewood, NW2, which sold for £1.6M from a £1.2M guide and a property on Lock Island, Marlow, which achieved £900,000 against an £825,000 guide.
Lots sold
Success Rate
Total Raised
Lot 41: The Penthouse, 29-37 Harrington Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 3HD
VACANT - Leasehold Self Contained Three Bedroom Penthouse Apartment
Sale Price: £3,260,000
Lot 5: 160 Walm Lane, Cricklewood, London, NW2 4RU
INVESTMENT - Freehold Building
Rent £144,708 p.a. (equivalent)
Sale Price: £1,600,000
Q1 2026 at a Glance
Outlook
The results across Q1 2026 mark a strong and encouraging start to the year. With the April catalogue already shaping up to be a large two-day sale and momentum building through the quarter, the outlook for the remainder of 2026 looks positive. The combination of an experienced, cash-rich buyer base, competitive bidding across a broad range of lot types and sustained confidence in UK real estate as an asset class all point to continued activity in the months ahead.
