Property auction success rate to hit 5% as sales double in 2025

Buyer sentiment improves as property auctions regain traction.

Property auction success rates are projected to hover around 5% in 2026, supported by an expected easing of interest rates and rising buyer confidence, Knight Frank said in a report.

The firm expects residential listings to remain the largest category in 2026, driven by the delayed effects of earlier financing pressures and Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) constraints.

Mortgagee activity is also expected to remain elevated early in the year, before moderating later.

This outlook followed a sharp increase in gross sales value in 2025, which reached $68m, representing a 136.8% rise from the $28.7m recorded in 2024.

During the year, buyers purchased 25 properties out of 522 listings, resulting in an annual success rate of 4.8%, the report said.

Mortgagee listings climbed to 312—the highest level since 2019—marking an 82.5% year-on-year increase.

This trend reflects the delayed entry of distressed stock into the market following the high-interest-rate environment of 2023 and early 2024.

In the third quarter of 2025, the market recorded 134 listings and a gross sales value of $7.4m, which was 73.1% lower than the $27.4m achieved from nine sales in the previous quarter.

The quarter recorded a success rate of 3%, with buyers purchasing four properties, including non-landed homes, a ramp-up factory, and an HDB shop.

“With improving financing conditions, buyers are more willing to do a deal, both in the auction hall and via the Bidding app,” said Sharon Lee, Head of Auction & Sales at Knight Frank Singapore.

Residential properties accounted for 49.3% of fourth quarter (Q4) listings, whilst retail listings rose to 30 units from 20 in the previous quarter, as older strata developments faced higher operating costs and competition from e-commerce.

Industrial properties remained active, with the year’s largest transaction being the $9.1m sale of a freehold property at 108 Tagore Lane in September.

The year also marked a shift towards digital platforms, with Knight Frank completing two sales via its auction app in Q4—namely Adria and Lakeshore.

Sheriff sale listings in 2025 exceeded the combined total of the previous three years, reflecting structured recovery processes rather than systemic stress in the real estate market.

Mortgagee listings for commercial properties edged down slightly in Q4, with notable activity at Midpoint Orchard, Sim Lim Square, Polaris@Woodlands, and REVV.

An ETC report also noted that growth primarily stemmed from a surge in mortgagee-sale listings and the continued dominance of residential properties.

The firm expects auction listings to remain active as owners navigate macroeconomic uncertainty and rental pressures, although easing interest rates in the second half of the year may help stabilise owner-led listings.

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