Clive Emson Auctioneers raised more than £23m from its May sales across the South of England.
The auction house offered 152 lots at its five regional sales, the last of which was held on 9 May at Chelmsford City Racecourse, Essex, offering eight lots.
The biggest of the sales, held at the Kent County Show Ground in Maidstone on 3 May, raised £14.8m from the 73 lots offered, with an 84% success rate.
The Kent sale’s total was the highest since September 2009, when it reached £16.3m. At the latest Kent sale, two lots sold prior and 51 went to bidders in the room.
Highlights included an office block in Shorncliffe Road, Folkestone, with potential for development or conversion. It sold for £990,000 off a guide of £650,000 to £700,000.
In Beckley, near Rye, East Sussex, a detached bungalow beat its guide by nearly £100,000 to sell for £215,000.
Managing director James Emson said: “There was keen demand for commercial and residential, as well as land with consent for development.
“The appetite for investment opportunities remains healthy despite the stamp duty surcharge. We expect this to continue into our June auction.”
