Auction listings reach five-year high in H1

Mortgagee sales accounted for 74% of the 292 properties offered during the period.

Property auction listings reached their highest half-year level since 1H 2021, driven by an increase in mortgagee and industrial properties, according to Edmund Tie & Company (ETC).

A total of 292 properties were listed in 1H 2026, up 12.3% from 260 in 2H 2025 and 8.6% from 269 in the same period last year.

Mortgagee sales accounted for 216 listings, or 74% of the total. Owner-sale listings comprised 53, or 18.2%, whilst sheriff’s, bailiff’s, trustee’s and other sale types contributed 23 listings.

ETC head of auction and sales Joy Tan attributed the larger share of mortgagee listings to tighter financing conditions.

However, she said the continued decline in owner-sale listings indicated that the resale market remained healthy enough for some borrowers to dispose of their properties before foreclosure.

“Taken together, these trends reflect a market that remains selective rather than a signal of distress,” Tan said.

Residential properties continued to form the largest segment, accounting for 144 listings, or 49.3% of the total.

Industrial properties contributed 87 listings, representing 29.8%. This was higher than the 58 listings recorded in 2H 2025 and 61 in 1H 2025.

Tan said the increase in industrial listings was largely driven by B1 and B2 strata factories with fewer than 30 years remaining on their leases.

Retail listings continued to decline, falling to 46 from 52 in 2H 2025 and 63 in the same period last year. ETC attributed the reduction to healthy occupancy, limited supply and the rapid take-up of vacant units by new tenants.

Thirteen properties were sold at auction during the first half, primarily residential and industrial assets. The number was unchanged from 2H 2025 and slightly higher than in 1H 2025.

The transactions had a combined value of $27.67m. The total includes an estimated valuation for one property whose final sale price was unavailable when the report was published.

ETC said residential auction demand was mainly supported by upgraders seeking larger homes and investors looking for capital appreciation.

Industrial demand remained supported by logistics and warehousing companies, as well as investors seeking portfolio diversification and attractive yields. Limited industrial land supply and fewer regulatory restrictions compared with residential properties also supported the segment.

The auction market is expected to remain active in 2H 2026 as tighter financing conditions and changes in the interest-rate environment continue to drive property disposals.

ETC expects residential and industrial mortgagee listings to remain prominent. Second-half sales value is projected to stay close to the first-half level, although macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty may keep buyers cautious and limit transaction volumes.