Your Opportunity in Real Estate: 80% of Auctions in 2025 Ended Without a Sale — Especially in Residential Properties, Where 74% Did Not Result in a Transaction

One in seven properties that went up for auction in 2025 found a buyer and passed into new hands, while the corresponding ratio for residential properties is one in six. The proportion of people acquiring property through auctions has remained at similarly low levels in recent years, confirming that the mechanism is far from being part of the solution to the acute housing crisis, despite the large number of properties uploaded to the e-auction electronic platform every year.

Specifically, according to e-auction data, 61,435 property auctions were scheduled in 2025. Of these:

43,334 were completed. The rest were canceled, annulled, or suspended.

Out of the 43,334 properties that reached the auction stage, only 9,204 were awarded to a bidder — meaning they found a buyer — representing just 21.4%. These include all types of properties: residences, commercial or industrial properties, warehouses, plots of land, and parking spaces.

The main problem faced by those seeking property through the e-auction platform is the inability to obtain a clear picture of the property.

Of the 43,334 properties that reached auction, 16,679 were residential properties, and only 4,395 of them found a buyer, representing 26.3%.

It should be noted that in some cases, the highest bidder is the party initiating the auction itself — usually the company managing the loan on behalf of either the fund that purchased it or the bank that still holds the loan. The e-auction platform does not allow users to determine how many properties have actually passed into third-party ownership. However, according to informed sources, many commercially attractive properties are purchased by the initiating parties, who then renovate and resell them at higher prices.

Thus, during the first eleven months of 2025 (January–November), 9,204 properties were transferred, with a total value of just over €1 billion. The final auction prices were on average 10.4% higher than the initial opening bid, which amounted to €933.4 million for all these properties combined.

The number of properties that found a buyer in the first eleven months of 2025 is lower than in 2024, when a total of 12,476 properties were transferred throughout the year — including 5,970 residential units — with a total value of €1.3 billion.

Parking spaces constitute a separate category, with 1,637 completed auctions in 2025, of which 586 were awarded, representing 35.8%. The high demand for parking spaces reflects current conditions and the increased number of vehicles in circulation. Notably, on the e-auction platform, starting prices for a parking space range from €5,000 in Attica and can reach as high as €35,000 for a 10 sq.m. space, depending on the area.

The main issue for prospective buyers using the e-auction platform is the lack of sufficient information about the properties. The vast majority of listings do not include relevant photographs to assist potential buyers. As a result, many transferred properties become known only within a narrow circle of professionals who systematically monitor the platform.

According to reports, several tenants have been caught by surprise upon learning that the property they are renting is about to be auctioned. In some cases, property owners — debtors — deliberately rent out their properties shortly before seizure in order to delay the auction process.

An alternative solution is offered by platforms such as eAuction24.gr, which aim to enrich property listings with more photographic material and more comprehensive information, making the search process more user-friendly for potential buyers.