Metropolitan Area Apartment Auction Indicators Turn Weak
Seoul's Successful Bid Price Ratio Hits Lowest Since February
With fewer successful bids for high-priced apartments and tighter lending regulations, the apartment auction market in July saw declines in all key indicators, including the successful bid price ratio, successful bid rate, and the number of bidders.
According to the "July 2025 Auction Trend Report" released by Jiji Auction on August 7, a total of 3,277 apartment auctions were held nationwide last month. This represents a 9% increase from the previous month (3,013 cases), but the actual successful bid rate fell by 2.8 percentage points to 39.9%.
The successful bid price ratio dropped to 85.9%, falling below the 87% level that had been maintained for three months.
The average number of bidders per auction was 7.9, a slight decrease from 8.5 in the previous month.
The successful bid price ratio for Seoul apartments declined by 2.8 percentage points from the previous month to 95.7%, marking the lowest figure since February. The successful bid rate also dropped to 43.4%, and the average number of bidders fell to 7.8, the lowest in six months. Jiji Auction analyzed, "Following the government's June 27 measures, the reduction in loan limits and weakened investment sentiment appear to have led to an overall decline in Seoul's auction indicators."
In the Gyeonggi region, the successful bid rate for apartments was 49.5%, and the successful bid price ratio was 87.7%, both lower than the previous month. Notably, the successful bid price ratio for high-priced apartments valued at 1 billion won or more plummeted by 8.1 percentage points to 91.5%, dragging down the overall average. The restriction on mortgage loan limits to a maximum of 600 million won in the Seoul metropolitan area appears to have had an impact.
In Incheon, the successful bid rate rose by 2.7 percentage points to 43.1%, but the successful bid price ratio declined for the second consecutive month to 77.3%. The average number of bidders also fell to 6.9, the lowest since December of last year.
In the provinces, the successful bid price ratios for apartments in Sejong and Gwangju dropped significantly.
In Sejong, the ratio fell by 6.4 percentage points to 86.0% compared to the previous month, while in Gwangju, it declined by 8.3 percentage points to 75.6%. The successful bid price ratio in Gwangju is now at its lowest level since April 2023. In contrast, Daejeon saw an increase of 8.8 percentage points to 75.8%, and Ulsan rose by 4.1 percentage points to 89.3%, showing some signs of recovery.
Among the eight provinces, Chungnam (84.6%), Gyeongbuk (83.6%), and Jeonnam (78.5%) recorded increases in the successful bid price ratio, while Gangwon (87.3%), Jeju (83.5%), and Jeonbuk (85.7%) saw declines. Gyeongnam remained unchanged at 80.7%.
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