Why Do Houses Go To Auction? [2 Main Reasons]

When we think about selling a house we think about selling through an estate agent. But not all properties are sold this way. About 2.3% sell via auction instead. Why do these houses go to auction?

Properties go to auction because they're a quicker and easier way to sell properties. This makes auctions a great fit for sellers who want (or need) to sell more quickly than usual. This is especially true for "problem properties" too, which can really struggle to sell via estate agents.

It's important to understand these two main motivations, so in this article we’ll shed more light on each one.

Understanding them can determine whether or not selling by auction sale is right for you.

If you want to cut right to the chase and learn whether or not auction is right for your property sale, use this free online quiz I've designed for you:

If you’re considering buying a property at auction, it's useful to understand why properties end up here so you can try and determine if the property you're buying has any underlying issues.

1. Reasons houses go to auction

Although auctions are growing in popularity, they still only account for a small number of property sales. As we mentioned above, they only account for 2.3% of properties sold in the UK. Here are where those figures come from:

Data from the Office For National Statistics shows that 651,987 houses were sold in England and Wales during 2020.
Essential Information Group are the industry-standard for property auction information. Data from their monthly newsletters tells us that 15,009 properties were sold in 2020 via auction.
That means 2.3% (or about 1 in 45) houses are sold via auction.

So what makes this small pool of sellers decide that property auctions are right for them?

1.1. The benefits of selling through auction

Auctions offer two main benefits to sellers:

They'll have a quicker, easier sale than going through an estate agent
Auctions tend to attract more experienced investors and developers, who can take on "problem properties".

Read more benefits of selling by auction here.

Auction sale vs Estate Agent sale

We probably don't need to tell you that people tend to find selling their home through an estate agent difficult and frustrating. But why exactly is that, and what do auctions offer that estate agents don't?

Auctions are a faster way to sell. Auctions last 3-4 weeks, and at the end of the auction you have a binding sale. According to data from The Advisory, an advice and support resource for home sellers, it takes 14-23 weeks to get to the same stage via an estate agent.
Auctions have a higher success rate. Data from EIG shows us that auctions have a success rate of 78%. By comparison, a study from Jefferies, a financial services company, revealed that estate agents only sold around 51% of properties. Read more here: Do houses usually sell at auction? (And how can you improve your chances of success?)
Auctions are easier. Because auctions work to fixed timeframes things progress almost "automatically". This saves sellers the stressful experience of chasing solicitors and estate agents to try and progress things.

Property industry and economic data shows that property auctions are a faster, easier, and more certain way to sell a house than going through an estate agent.

Take this free online quiz I've designed for you to see if auction is the right fit for your property sale.

Experienced investors and developers (+ cash buyers)

Because auctions work to fixed timeframes they traditionally haven't been suitable for mortgage buyers. This means that auctions have tended to attract cash buyers. These cash buyers will typically be experienced property investors and developers.

This makes auction a great fit for selling "problem properties". These are usually not mortageable, so trying to sell via an estate agent can be a difficult process. By contrast, selling via auction puts the property in front of the right audience:

Risk-appetite. Experienced property investors and developers won't be put off by "problem properties"
Finance. They wont need a mortgage to buy the property.

Overall, this means a much faster sale. Furthermore, because the auction house's job is to create competition between multiple bidders it can often result in higher prices too.

1.2. Choosing auction due to "Property" circumstances

Because of the benefits of selling via auction it can be a great way to sell problem properties. What do we mean by "problem property" though?

Examples of "problem properties"

"Problem properties" are houses that could be difficult to sell due to an unusual issue surrounding it. The issue may relate to the building or the land itself, or to a legal issue surrounding it.

Here are some of the most common "problem properties" you may find selling by auction:

Subsidence and other structural issues,
Non-standard construction (for example BISF or Airey houses),
Short leases,
Japanese knotweed,
Legal complications,
Enforcement notices,
Problem tenants.

This isn't an exhaustive list though. We've covered more issues in this article:

Do all properties sold at auction have something wrong with them?

This is a common misconception about property auctions. Just because house auctions are an effective way to sell problem properties, it doesn't mean that properties need to have a problem in order to be sold at auction.

Just because house auctions are an effective way to sell problem properties, it doesn't mean that properties need to have a problem in order to be sold at auction.

Auctions attract a variety of sellers with perfectly "normal" properties as well. We'll move on to these next. Take our free quiz in the mean time to learn whether auction is right for you and your property.

1.3. Choosing auction due to "Personal" circumstances

Auctions aren't just about selling "problem properties" quickly to professional investors and developers.

As we've covered, property auctions offer a faster, easier and more certain sale compared with an estate agent. This makes auctions an attractive alternative for lots of different home sellers.

Many sellers find themselves in a personal situation where a faster, easier sale just makes sense.

This free online quiz helps you quickly assess whether auction is the right fit for you or not:

Examples of personal reasons to sell at auction

Selling by auction can be a good option if you're in one of these situations:

Selling an inherited property.
Divorce or separation.
Debts or financial difficulties.
Buy-to-Let investors with problem tenants.
Relocating or emigrating.

An experienced auctioneer can help guide you through the process, and help you get the faster home sale you're looking for.

1.4. Drawbacks with selling by auction

Although auctions deliver a faster and more certain sale, there's always been one main downside for sellers: You compromise on the price.

Sometimes properties will sell for less at auction than if you went via an estate agent. For buyers this means that auctions can be an opportunity to buy at a good price.

This isn't always necessarily the case though.

Do "problem properties" actually sell for more at auction?

The auctions contest that "problem properties" will actually sell for more at auction than via an estate agent.

According to Auction House, one of the largest property auction companies in the UK:

"Problem properties will often achieve higher sale prices through auction than they will through estate agents."

My personal experience has often mirrored this over the years too.

Why do "problem properties" often sell for more at auction?

The main reason for this is because a problem property can "stagnate" on the open market. If it takes a long time to sell and then has a couple of sales fall through it can start "scaring" people off.

Once the price has been reduced a couple of times as well it can really look like a red flag. Some buyers will just think that if a house has been available for that long and no one else wants it, then they don't either!

It becomes a vicious cycle where the property gets harder to sell over time, and eventually results in agreeing a rock bottom price.

Had it gone straight to auction originally then the sale price may have been much higher.

Although it's impossible to gather the data to confirm this, it certainly makes sense. We've covered this topic in much more detail here: Do houses sell for less at auction? (And how to get the best price)

Want to know if your property is a good fit for auction? Take this free quiz I've designed for you, and find out in the next 1-2 minutes.

Drawbacks selling "normal properties" at auction

If a property is being sold via auction because of a preference of the seller (rather than because it's a "problem property") then it is common to sell for less via auction.

The average is about 85-90%, although it varies drastically on a case-by-case basis.

The difference is not as high as it used to be though. This is due to the Modern Method of Auction, which has taken off since around 2016. Modern Auctions have helped bring "auction sales" into the mainstream by opening them up to mortgage buyers as well.

2. Conclusion

Houses go to auction because they're a quicker and easier way to sell houses. This makes it a great fit for sellers who want (or need) to sell more quickly than usual.

It's especially true for "problem properties" too, which can really struggle to sell via estate agents.

2.1. Advice for buyers

If you're a buyer, how can you tell if the property you're looking at is a "problem property", or if the seller just wanted a faster sale?

Note: It's not necessarily from the guide price. The low guide price you see with auctions doesn't necessarily mean that the house has something wrong with it. To learn more, check out this article: How accurate are guide prices at property auctions?

Properties with low guide prices can, in fact, be problem-free. This is especially true with properties being sold via the modern method of auction.

If you decide to buy via auction then it's up to you to figure out what issue (if any) the property has. You should do this before bidding! Read our article about why you need a solicitor for auction purchases, and what they do for you.

Surveys are highly recommended too.

Annabel Dixon, award-winning property journalist and content editor for Zoopla, said the following in an article about buying at auction:

Property auctions are a good way to land a bargain in a quick sale that avoids a potentially lengthy, conventional buying process.

While this is absolutely true, just make sure you do the due diligence before you bid on the property.

Recommended: The need for up-front due diligence is one of the major disadvantages of buying at auction. To learn more of the advantages and disadvantages, check out this article: Want To Buy At Auction? 12 Crucial Pros and Cons to Consider First

2.2. Advice for sellers

If you think auction could be the right choice for you it's crucial to choose the right type of auction and the best auction house. Having a good solicitor to back you up is also important.

We can help on all these fronts:

I've designed this free online quiz to help you determine if auction's right for you.
If it is, I can connect you with my #1 Leading Auction House in your area.
You'll have a free auction valuation from them (and get all your auction questions answered) within 24 hours.
Click below to take the quiz:

By Matthew Cooper, Co-Founder of Home Selling Expert

I'm an experienced property insider, trusted media commentator, and the Founder of Home Selling Expert and YesHomebuyers.com. I've bought and sold almost 150 properties worth nearly £17m, and my advice articles (like this one!) have been viewed more than 1million times.

Read Full Bio →

The Two Main Reasons Houses Go To Auction