The number of forced property auctions rose again in 2025. An analysis by Argetra, a company that specializes in such auctions, found that the total number of scheduled auctions increased by 4.7 %, compared to a 9.0 % rise the previous year. In the same period, market values climbed by 10.7 %, reaching €4.76 billion.
The main drivers of this uptick were the persistently weak economic environment, stagnating real purchasing power, ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, and a surge in bankruptcies-particularly among consumers, where the level hit a nine‑year high.
When measured per 100,000 households, Thuringia registered 60 scheduled auctions, more than twice the 27 in Bavaria. On average, 34 per 100,000 households nationwide were hit by forced sales, up from 33 the year before.
Berlin recorded the highest average sale price of more than €1.3 million per property. Hamburg followed with an average of €1.1 million, placing it second. Thuringia lagged sharply, with an average of €100,000. The national average was €337,839, rising from €319,509 the previous year.
In 2025 the forty cities with the most scheduled auctions were led again by Berlin, then Chemnitz, Munich, Leipzig, Zwickau, and Nuremberg. These 40 locations represent roughly 18 % of the population but account for 30 % of all auctions, showing a higher auction density than the national average. New entrants to the Top 40 included Regensburg, Gelsenkirchen, Bonn, Eisleben, and Neuss, while cities such as Bautzen, Heilbronn, Hanover, Karlsruhe, and Bad Liebenwerda fell off the list.
Analysts say that future developments will hinge on inflation and interest‑rate trends, and on whether the economy can gain traction and return to a sustainable growth path in 2026.
After residential property prices plunged by 8.4 % in 2023-a decline not seen since the start of the data series-2024 was marked by stabilization, and the first tentative signs of recovery appeared in 2025.
The looming end of the 10‑year fixed‑rate period for low‑interest loans could trigger a significant rise in forced auction properties in the coming years, Argetra warns.
Another study had already highlighted at the end of the year that the number of auctions scheduled for the next year is rising at a pace not seen in years. During the Christmas period, nearly 15 % more auction dates were listed in the official calendars than at the same time a year earlier.
This may be a concerning indicator for the actual trend, as historical data show: by the end of 2024, the number of announced auctions had risen by only 2 % compared to the end of 2023, yet the total yearly increase reached 4.7 %. The year before, the end‑year jump was 11 %, with an overall yearly rise of 9.0 % in 2024.
