Property Auctions Are Growing: What Does This Mean for Landlords?
Property auctions are becoming increasingly mainstream in the UK. For landlords, that could create new opportunities to buy, sell and grow a property portfolio — but auctions aren't automatically the right route for every property.
The property market is changing.
Estate agents are increasingly looking at alternative ways to sell property, and the latest development from Alto could make property auctions considerably more accessible to agents across the UK.
Alto has launched Alto Auctions, powered by Bamboo Proptech, giving more than 6,000 estate agencies access to traditional and conditional property auctions through their existing estate agency software.
For landlords, this is interesting for a reason that goes beyond the technology.
As auctions become easier for agents to offer, landlords may have more opportunities to use auctions as part of their property strategy.
But what does that actually mean for a landlord?
Property Auctions Are No Longer Just for Distressed Property
There is still a perception that property auctions are primarily for:
- Properties requiring significant renovation
- Repossessions
- Difficult-to-sell properties
- Commercial property
- Properties that have struggled on the open market
That picture is becoming increasingly outdated.
The latest figures cited by Alto show that 4,042 lots were offered at auction in June 2026, with 2,659 sold, representing a 36.5% increase in auction activity compared with the previous year.
That doesn't mean every property should be sold by auction.
It does suggest, however, that auctions are becoming a more established part of the property market.
For landlords, that creates another tool to consider.
Could Auctions Help Landlords Grow a Portfolio?
Potentially.
One of the biggest challenges for landlords looking to grow is finding properties where the numbers work.
Traditional property searches can become competitive, particularly when multiple buyers are targeting the same types of property.
Auctions can provide access to a different pool of properties.
That could include properties that:
- Need renovation
- Have struggled to sell
- Require a faster transaction
- Appeal to investors rather than owner-occupiers
- Have unusual circumstances surrounding the sale
For an experienced landlord who understands their numbers, an auction could therefore become another source of potential investment opportunities.
But there is an important distinction.
Finding a property at auction is not the same as finding a good investment.
Don't Let the Auction Price Become the Investment Strategy
This is where landlords need to be careful.
A property appearing to be cheap at auction doesn't necessarily mean it is good value.
Before bidding, landlords need to understand the complete financial picture.
That means considering:
Purchase Price
What are you actually prepared to pay?
Don't let competition during an auction push you beyond the numbers you originally calculated.
Renovation Costs
If the property requires work, get realistic estimates.
A £150,000 property that needs £30,000 of work isn't necessarily a £150,000 investment.
Financing
Auction purchases can have different timescales and financing requirements.
Make sure your funding is in place before bidding.
Rental Potential
What rent could the property realistically achieve?
Don't base the calculation solely on optimistic asking rents.
Additional Costs
Remember to consider:
- Stamp Duty
- Legal costs
- Auction fees
- Survey costs
- Renovation
- Insurance
- Compliance
- Void periods
- Ongoing maintenance
The winning bid is only one part of the calculation.
Auctions Could Also Help Landlords Sell
The opportunity isn't only on the buying side.
There may be situations where a landlord wants to sell a property that isn't performing as expected.
Perhaps:
- The property requires significant investment
- The landlord wants to exit a particular area
- Returns no longer justify the management required
- The property has been sitting on the market
- A traditional sale has fallen through
An auction could provide an alternative route to market.
The Alto announcement highlights the potential for auction transactions to move faster, with suitable properties potentially completing in around six weeks.
It also reports a fall-through rate below 1% for transactions completed through Alto Auctions, although landlords should treat those figures as company-reported rather than a guarantee for every auction sale.
The key point is that speed and certainty can sometimes be as important as achieving the highest possible headline price.
What About Landlords Who Don't Want to Sell?
This is perhaps the most important point.
Not every landlord needs to become an auction investor.
If your existing portfolio is performing well, your tenants are happy and your properties generate acceptable returns, there may be no reason to change your strategy simply because auction activity is increasing.
But understanding the market gives you more options.
A successful property strategy isn't necessarily about constantly buying more properties.
Sometimes it's about knowing:
Which properties should I keep?
Which properties should I improve?
Which properties should I sell?
And where might my next investment opportunity come from?
The Bigger Opportunity: More Choice for Landlords
The most interesting part of developments such as Alto Auctions isn't necessarily the technology itself.
It's the fact that alternative methods of selling property are becoming easier for traditional estate agents to offer.
If more estate agents can identify suitable properties for auction, recommend the route and manage the process within their existing systems, landlords may increasingly be presented with auction as a genuine alternative rather than a specialist service.
That could be particularly useful in a changing market.
A landlord who understands both the traditional sales market and auction market has more options available when making investment decisions.
But Professional Management Still Matters
Whether you're buying one rental property or building a portfolio, acquiring the property is only the beginning.
Once you've bought it, you still need to manage:
- Tenancy information
- Compliance documents
- Gas safety
- EICRs
- EPCs
- Maintenance
- Contractor records
- Tenant communication
- Important dates
- Financial records
And the bigger the portfolio becomes, the harder it is to keep everything organised manually.
This is where professional systems become increasingly important.
Growing a portfolio shouldn't mean growing the amount of information you have to keep in your head.
Build the Portfolio — Without Building Another Job
For landlords considering portfolio growth, the focus shouldn't simply be on buying more properties.
It should be on building a property business that remains manageable as it grows.
One property can be relatively easy to keep track of.
Five requires more organisation.
Ten requires systems.
Fifteen requires a completely different approach to record keeping, compliance and communication.
The landlords who plan for that growth early are likely to find scaling considerably easier.
The Bottom Line for Landlords
The growth in property auction activity is worth watching.
For landlords, it could mean:
More opportunities to buy.
More options when selling.
Potentially faster transactions.
But auctions aren't a shortcut to a profitable property portfolio.
The fundamentals still matter:
Buy the right property.
Understand the numbers.
Know your exit strategy.
Manage the property professionally.
And most importantly, make sure your portfolio remains organised as it grows.
Because whether your next property comes from Rightmove, an estate agent or an auction, the real work begins once you own it.
Related Articles
- How Much Do Letting Agents Charge in London? (2026 Landlord Guide)
- Best Letting Agents in Birmingham vs Self-Managing Your Rental Property
- Why Manchester Is Still One of the UK's Best Cities for Property Investors in 2026
- Why Are Brent Landlords Selling Up in 2026? The Truth Behind London's Rental Market Changes
- How to Build a Profitable Property Portfolio