Barnard Marcus' most recent auction last month saw sales proceeds in excess of £26m from the 175 lots on offer. The total for Barnard Marcus this year already stands at over £95m and for Sequence Auctions overall including their regional rooms in Leeds, Norwich, Derby and Southampton exceeding £120 million.

Many lots under the hammer soared above the guide prices, for example, Lot 37, a freehold detached bungalow with potential, offered on behalf of The London Borough of Sutton with a guide price of £330,000, subsequently sold to a private buyer for £710,000, following a fierce bidding war.

As well as the many properties offered on behalf of private clients, the auction included a number of lots for the Hyde Housing Association, where 100% of the stock sold and prices averaged 155% of the guide. The auction also included 27 properties offered on behalf of receivers, where again 100% sold at an average of 133% to guide.

Recent results demonstrate that the buy to let market continues to thrive, with more buyers seeking to invest pension funds and take advantage of the great yields available in the sector.