Here at Robinson & Hall Auctions, we’re thrilled with how 2025 played out. We achieved an average success rate of 84%, significantly ahead of the industry average of 67.6%, making us one of the most consistently reliable auctioneers in the country in terms of sale rates against lots offered.
Over the year, we offered 194 lots. We successfully sold 164, giving our future clients strong reassurance in the certainty of sale when choosing to instruct us. Speed of sale is also a key benefit of the auction route – in 2025, the average time from instruction to exchange with us was just 45 days, compared to over 200 days on the open market through a traditional estate agent.
We also experienced year-on-year growth, offering 44 more lots and achieving 34 more sales than we did in 2024 – a clear sign that demand for the speed and certainty of auctions continues to rise.
Property Market Outlook – The Year Ahead
The overall property market saw a subdued end to 2025 in which Nationwide noted that UK house prices fell by 0.4% month-on-month from April to December. As we progress into January the property market appears to be transitioning into a period of cautious optimism. Visits to Rightmove nearly doubled (a 93 per cent increase) between the quietest day of the year, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day, as house hunters swapped board games and Christmas treats for property searches online. Indeed, Rightmove recorded its busiest ever Boxing Day for website visits in 2025, in signs of a bigger-than-usual housing market bounce, with London and Southeast movers most active.
Experts predict modest growth for 2026, with estimates ranging from 1.5% to 4%. Halifax reports that while prices hit a six-month low in December 2025, falling interest rates and easing inflation are expected to increase buyer purchasing power this year.
The Bank of England base rate was cut to 3.75% in late 2025 and markets anticipate further cuts in 2026, potentially reaching 3.25% by mid-year. As a result, major lenders like HSBC and Barclays have begun the year by cutting mortgage rates to compete for buyers. Average 2-year fixed rates have dropped to approximately 4.31%, down from nearly 6% in early 2024.
Regulatory and Legislative News
Renters’ Rights Act:
Implementation remains a major focus for 2026, although some industry voices are calling for a delay to give the sector more time to adjust.
“Mansion Tax”:
A new surcharge now applies to properties in England valued over £2 million. Charges start at £2,500 and rise to £7,500 for properties over £5 million.
Leasehold Reform:
The long-promised Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill was delayed at the end of 2025, with a new push for publication expected in early 2026.
Regulation for Estate Agents:
There are renewed calls, this time from the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), for estate agents to be regulated. Otherwise, they say homebuying reforms will fail. They argue in response to the Government’s recent consultations on home buying and selling reform and material information in property listings, which closed on 29 December, estate agents must be subject to the same professional and ethical framework as conveyancers, or reforms to the home buying and selling process will not work.
The regulator warns that uneven standards across the transaction process risk undermining efforts to fix a system in which around £400m is lost annually to failed deals, and roughly one in three private treaty transactions fall through.
It is no wonder then that selling at auction continues to grow as sellers look for speed and certainty of sale. Here at Robinson and Hall Auctions, we are delighted with our 2025 performance and look forward to offering a streamlined service to Sellers and Buyers alike in 2026.
If you have property or land that you wish to sell quickly, please contact our team to obtain a free valuation.
