Welcome to our 2025 property sales and auctions review and outlook
As we approach the end of 2025, it’s important for us to reflect on the successes, and challenges, of the past year.
This year our expanding team has acted across a wide range of assets around the UK. One highlight has been to be instructed by fixed charge receivers to provide marketing and sales advice across a diverse portfolio of circa 23 assets, predominantly located in the North West. The portfolio comprised a range of residential and commercial investments, development sites and car parks.
Despite challenging market conditions, we have successfully completed or agreed sales across the majority of assets, achieving strong results through a combination of traditional and hybrid marketing approaches. Our focus on bespoke strategy – underpinned by early legal preparation and agile process management – has consistently delivered positive outcomes for our clients. Leading on our commercial insights and sharing our successes from this year is Amy Selfe, Chartered Surveyor, who has been with Landwood for nearly a decade. Amy’s extensive experience in valuations, sales and acquisitions, and asset repositioning provides clients with clarity and confidence in an ever- changing market. We’re also delighted to have recently recruited graduate agency surveyor Colman Bernard, pictured in the middle below!
Welcome to the team Colman.
Market context
Landwood 2025 Review and Auction Outlook
The North West’s commercial and mixed-use property market has remained resilient this year despite wider economic headwinds, including higher borrowing costs and subdued investor sentiment. Liquidity has been maintained across well-located assets, particularly where income security, redevelopment potential, or strong occupational demand exists.
Receivership sales have become more complex, requiring enhanced due diligence, flexible transaction structures and proactive buyer engagement. We have found that engineering the sales process to reflect market appetite, asset type and buyer profile is crucial to securing competitive tension and reducing fall-through risk.
Case studies and outcomes:
1. Wilmslow – commercial investment sale
A wellness centre investment property was marketed through a private treaty campaign followed by a best offers process. Competitive bidding led to a sale at £342,500, representing 5% above asking price and a 7% yield based on gross income. The property, with an unexpired lease term of three years, was acquired by a local investor.
2. Atherton – residential development opportunity
A vacant former office building with planning permission for conversion to seven apartments attracted significant developer interest. Following a targeted marketing period, the asset achieved a £310,000 sale, demonstrating demand for small-scale residential redevelopment opportunities even amidst tightening financing conditions.
3. Salford – development land with constraints
We managed the sale of a challenging residential development site located within Flood Zone 3. By pre-preparing a full legal pack and maintaining buyer competition, we achieved a sale exceeding £1 million, with exchange and completion within two weeks – an outcome significantly superior to a conditional “subject to planning” deal. Early due diligence and contract readiness allowed us to convert interest rapidly.
4. Bolton – HMO disposal via hybrid process
An HMO property originally marketed on a private treaty basis deteriorated during marketing. Our approach pivoted quickly: the asset was re-targeted toward cash buyers and entered into auction with a 28-day completion timeframe. Thanks to our early legal preparation, the transition was seamless, ensuring continued market momentum and achieving a sale price 23% above the asking price.
5. Warrington – retail warehouse under exclusivity
We are currently under exclusivity with a storage operator purchaser seeking a change of use. Instead of a lengthy conditional contract, the buyer entered into an exclusivity agreement with a non- refundable fee and strict timelines for planning submission. This approach balanced buyer flexibility with vendor certainty and maintained transaction control.
Key takeaways
Preparation drives certainty: Upfront legal packs reduce transaction risk and shorten completion timelines.
Flexibility secures value: Hybrid approaches – blending private treaty, auction and exclusivity models – outperform rigid processes.
Expert coordination adds value: Liaison between planning consultants, solicitors and marketing teams is vital in complex cases.
Market resilience remains: Investor appetite persists for well- located assets and development opportunities, despite macroeconomic pressures.
Outlook for 2026
The receivership market is expected to remain active into 2026 as lenders continue to review underperforming assets. Demand will continue to favour income-producing investments and sites with planning potential. We anticipate continued success through agile marketing, robust legal readiness and targeted buyer engagement. Our experience demonstrates that achieving successful outcomes in a challenging market requires more than simply listing a property – it demands a strategic, data-driven, and hands-on approach.
Auctions: market snapshot
According to data from EIG, in Q3 (July to September) the UK auction market saw strong year-on-year growth, with total lots offered rising 5.8% to 9,315 compared to 8,808 in the same period last year, and lots sold increasing 3.0% to 6,336 (from 6,254), while the overall success rate eased to 64.0% (down from 68.1%).
The total value raised climbed 3.5% to £1,241.8 million, with residential auctions driving most of the growth: 1,571 lots offered (+23.9%), 1,021 lots sold, raising £157.7 million (+15.2%), representing a 13.5% increase year-on- year in total residential capital raised.
Commercial property also gained, with 167 lots offered, 92 sold, raising £14.1 million (+20.5%).
Regional performance was mixed: the North West saw lots sold up 14.6% and success rates improving to 70.1%, while Yorkshire and the Humber recorded a 41.8% surge in total raised, primarily in residential.
The East Midlands and West Midlands also achieved double-digit increases in capital raised, whereas the North East and Wales experienced significant declines. London’s auction activity remained steady, with modest gains in residential success rates but commercial totals falling. Northern Ireland and Scotland saw smaller-scale activity but notable percentage gains in select segments.
Overall, the data indicates a resilient auction market: rising volumes and values reflect strong buyer engagement, particularly in residential property, even as success rates moderate, highlighting a market that is increasingly selective and regionally varied.
Auctions: case studies
Our weekly online auctions continue to deliver strong results across a wide range of property types – unlocking value for local authorities, lenders and private clients.
