For as long as I can remember, January has been the month where auction professionals dust off their diaries, nurse their festive hangovers, and wait patiently for the market to wake up. The historic wisdom has always been simple: December closes the year with a whimper, everyone disappears for mince pies and mulled wine, and January limps along until February brings the buyers back to life.

Well, someone clearly forgot to tell the auction market
The latest data from the Essential Information Group tells a story that would have seemed fanciful just a few years ago. December 2025 didn’t just close strong—it smashed expectations. We saw 3,948 lots offered, up 14.2% year on year, with 2,771 lots sold representing a 15.1% increase. But here’s the figure that really caught my attention: £590.7m raised, up a staggering 24.3% on the previous December. That’s not a market limping towards the finish line. That’s a market sprinting through the tape.

The Numbers Don’t Lie (even when we’d like them to)
The full year of 2025 delivered a record 41,628 lots offered and 28,975 lots sold—the highest annual total on record. Total funds raised climbed to £5.9bn, up 7.1% on 2024’s figures. We’re not talking about marginal improvements here. We’re witnessing a fundamental shift in how the auction market performs.

The regional breakdown is equally telling. London led the charge with lots offered up 25.9% and the total raised jumping to £400.2m—a 32.9% increase that would make most investment managers weep with joy. Even the North-West, traditionally the highest-volume regional market, maintained its position with 1,032 lots sold in Q4 alone.