Allsop Reviews: Is It Legit? (2026 Facts & Verdict)

Is Allsop legit? Yes — Allsop is one of the UK's oldest and largest property auction houses, founded in 1906, trading as Allsop LLP (Companies House OC315531) and regulated by RICS. It is a genuine, established business, not a scam. But "legit" and "right for your sale" are two different questions. Allsop sells property by auction, so once the gavel falls you get speed and certainty — contracts exchange on the day and completion follows in roughly 20–28 days — but the final price depends on bidding, auction and legal-pack fees apply, and a reserve only protects you down to a point. For investment, unusual or hard-to-mortgage property it can be excellent; for a standard family home where you want the highest price with the least risk, it is only one of several routes worth comparing.

• 1906year founded
• OC315531Allsop LLP (Companies House)
• 76–90%lot success rate, 2026 auctions
• 20–28 daystypical completion after the gavel

What is Allsop?

Allsop is one of the UK's largest and longest-running property auction houses. It was founded in 1906 and today operates as Allsop LLP, a limited liability partnership registered at Companies House under number OC315531, with its head office on Wigmore Street in London and a major regional base in Leeds. The firm runs separate residential and commercial auction programmes through the year, alongside a wider property consultancy covering valuation, investment, build-to-rent and asset management. It is regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the professional body that sets conduct and valuation standards for chartered surveyors and the firms they work in.

That regulatory backing matters when you are weighing whether a company is trustworthy. RICS regulation is not a guarantee of a good price, but it does mean Allsop operates under a recognised professional framework with complaints handling and conduct rules — a meaningful difference from an unregulated "we buy any house" cold-caller. In short: Allsop is unquestionably a real, reputable and substantial business. The honest question for a seller is not "is it a scam?" but "is selling at auction, through this kind of firm, the best way to sell my property?"

Allsop at a glance — the verifiable facts

Before any opinion, here are the checkable facts about the company as observed in 2026. Company details come from Companies House and Allsop's own published information; auction figures are taken from publicly reported 2026 sale results and change with every sale, so treat them as a picture of recent performance rather than a promise.

How Allsop's auctions actually work

Allsop runs two broad sale types, and the difference is important for sellers. Its traditional auctions follow the unconditional model: when the hammer falls, the winning bidder is legally committed, pays a deposit (typically 10%) immediately, and must complete within a fixed window — usually 20 working days, or around 28 calendar days. This is the route most people picture when they think "property auction", and it is genuinely fast and certain once a bid succeeds, because exchange of contracts happens on the day rather than weeks later.

The journey for a seller looks roughly like this. First, Allsop appraises the property and agrees a guide price (a marketing figure designed to attract interest) and a confidential reserve (the minimum you will accept). A legal pack is prepared by your solicitor — title documents, searches, leases, special conditions — and made available to bidders before the sale. The lot is marketed in the auction catalogue and online for a few weeks, viewings are arranged, and on auction day buyers bid in the room or online. If bidding reaches or exceeds the reserve, the property sells; if it does not, the lot is "unsold" but Allsop may broker a post-auction deal. After a successful sale, the buyer's solicitor and yours complete within the fixed period.

The 2026 sale results give a sense of how reliably lots actually sell. Allsop's May residential auction raised around £40m from 158 lots at a 77% success rate; its spring two-day residential sale raised about £52m from 250 lots at roughly 85%; and its March residential auction raised about £45m from 208 lots at a 90% success rate. On the commercial side, its first commercial sale of 2026 raised about £40m from 52 lots (≈87%), and a later commercial auction raised around £32m at a 76% rate. In other words, in a typical Allsop sale somewhere between roughly three-quarters and nine-tenths of lots find a buyer — strong, but not a 100% guarantee that your specific lot will sell at the price you want.

What it costs to sell with Allsop (and any auction house)

Auction is not free, and the headline often quoted — "the buyer pays the fees" — is only half the story. There are costs on both sides of the deal, and buyer-side costs matter to you because every pound a bidder must pay in premiums and a premium for fast completion is a pound they cannot put into their bid. Based on prevailing 2026 UK auction practice, here is what to expect.

The practical takeaway: auction is competitively priced for the seller on commission, but the total cost of the transaction — once buyer premiums and rushed-completion legal fees are added — is built into what bidders are willing to offer. That is fine when competitive bidding pushes the price up; it works against you when interest is thin and only one or two bidders show up.

A worked example: what auction might mean for a £250,000 home

Imagine a property an estate agent would list at £250,000 on the open market. On a good day at auction with two or three motivated bidders, competition can drive the hammer price to — or even above — that market figure, and you exchange the same day with completion locked in for around four weeks. That is the auction dream, and for the right lot it happens.

But picture a quieter sale. The guide price is set at £225,000 to attract interest, the reserve is agreed at £235,000, and on the day only one serious bidder appears. The lot sells right on the reserve at £235,000. From that you pay roughly 2% + VAT commission (about £5,640) plus your legal pack costs. Compare that with a genuine cash buyer, who on consensus UK figures pays 75–85% of market value — that is £187,500–£212,500 on the same £250,000 home — but completes in as little as 7–28 days with no fees and no fall-through risk. And compare it again with a high-street estate agent, who on average UK fees of around 1.42% (inc VAT) would cost roughly £3,550 on a full-price open-market sale that typically takes 16–24 weeks. None of these is automatically "best": auction can beat a cash buyer on price and still trail an agent; an agent can beat both on price but lose to them on certainty and speed. The only way to know is to price all three for your actual home.

• Open-market agent sale 95–100% of value
• Auction (competitive lot) often near market value
• Auction (thin interest) reserve-level / below
• Genuine cash buyer 75–85% of value

What customers and the market say about Allsop

Allsop has a relatively low Trustpilot volume — on the order of 50 reviews — and no single dominant consumer score, which is unsurprising for a firm that is largely business-to-business: its bidders are predominantly investors, landlords and developers rather than one-time consumer sellers. That makes consumer review sites a weaker guide here than they would be for a high-street quick-sale company. It is better to judge Allsop on its track record and structure than on a thin star rating.

Common praise themes, summarised in our own words from public feedback and trade coverage, include Allsop's standing as one of the UK's leading and longest-established auctioneers, the depth and professionalism of its teams, and the reach of its catalogue among serious investors. Common criticisms to weigh include communication and responsiveness complaints (more often raised around lettings and management than the auction rooms themselves), and the structural reality that auction fees apply and the final price depends on who turns up to bid on the day. We do not reproduce individual reviews; always read the latest ones yourself, and pay particular attention to the negatives.

Who Allsop suits — and who it does not

Auction tends to suit you if your property is an investment asset, is tenanted, came to you through probate, has a short lease, is of non-standard construction, has structural or legal quirks that put off mortgage-dependent buyers, or simply needs a fast, certain exchange with a fixed completion date. Cash-rich investors are comfortable with exactly the features that frighten ordinary buyers, and competitive bidding among them can produce a strong result. Auction also removes the open-market problem of chains and wavering buyers: once the gavel falls, the deal is binding.

Auction tends not to suit you if you own a conventional, mortgageable family home in good order, you want to maximise the achievable price and you have the time for a normal sale, or you cannot tolerate the risk that — on the wrong day, with thin bidding — the lot sells at the reserve or fails to sell at all. It is also a poor fit if you genuinely cannot wait the four weeks to completion, or if the certainty of a fixed sum agreed in advance matters more to you than the upside of competitive bidding. In those cases a high-street agent (for price) or a vetted cash buyer (for speed and certainty) may serve you better.

How to check Allsop — and any firm like it

Judge an auction house against objective, checkable standards rather than testimonials. These checks do not depend on anyone's opinion.

For a buyer's-eye view of why these checks matter and how the wider quick-sale and auction market is structured, see our guide to the best house-buying companies and our UK property selling statistics. If any of the auction jargon above is unfamiliar — guide price, reserve, unconditional sale, special conditions — our property jargon explained guide unpacks it in plain English.

How a fast cash sale compares — and when it is the wrong call

For sellers whose priority is speed and certainty rather than the absolute top price, a genuine cash buyer is the auction's main rival. The trade-off is well established: cash buyers typically pay 75–85% of market value, with offers above roughly 82% deserving extra scrutiny, in exchange for completion in 7–28 days, no fees, and no chain. Around one in four open-market sales falls through, so for someone facing repossession, a broken chain, an inherited property to clear, or an emigration deadline, that certainty can be worth the discount.

But we say plainly: a fast cash sale is not the right choice for everyone. If you have time, a saleable home and no pressing deadline, accepting 75–85% of value to save a few weeks is usually poor economics — an agent sale, or a well-judged auction of the right lot, will normally net you more. The honest answer is to compare. The two voluntary safeguards in the cash-buying market are the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB) and The Property Ombudsman (TPO); only use a buyer signed up to both, and always insist on proof of funds before committing. You can read how genuine cash buying works in our cash house buyers guide, why offers sit below market value in we buy any house below market value, and how investor sales differ in selling your house to an investor.

How to verify a buyer (auction or cash)

Whichever route you choose, run every counterparty through the same checklist. Confirm the legal entity and check it on Companies House. For an auctioneer, confirm RICS regulation; for a cash buyer, confirm NAPB and TPO membership. Demand proof of funds dated and in the buyer's name. Read recent, detailed reviews that mention whether deals actually completed — not just star averages. Refuse any arrangement that ties you in or charges non-refundable upfront sums before you have taken independent advice. And get the figure that anchors everything — your home's genuine market value from sold comparables — before you talk price with anyone; our how much is my house worth guide shows how.

Is Allsop right for you?

No company is "best" in the abstract — it depends entirely on what you need from your sale. Allsop is a legitimate, RICS-regulated, century-old auction house with a strong, publicly reported track record in 2026, and for investment, tenanted, probate or non-standard property it can deliver a fast, binding sale at a competitive price. If you value the highest possible price and have time, a good high-street agent may still beat it. If you value guaranteed speed and certainty above price, a vetted cash buyer may suit you better. The way to decide is not to rely on a single review of any firm — including this one — but to price your specific home across all three routes and choose with the numbers in front of you. Start by comparing your options in our best house-buying companies hub, see the wider data in our industry data, and if speed matters, weigh a no-obligation cash offer through our sell house fast guide.

Ready Steady Sell is independent and free to use, and is founded by home-selling expert Lisa Hayes. We are paid by the vetted buyers we introduce, never by you, so there is no pressure and no hidden fee — just a benchmark to put against Allsop or any other route.

Frequently asked questions

Is Allsop a scam or is it legit?

Allsop is legit. It is a long-established UK property auction house founded in 1906, trading as Allsop LLP (Companies House OC315531) and regulated by RICS. It is not a scam; the real question is whether selling at auction suits your particular property.

How fast can Allsop sell my property?

At a traditional unconditional auction, contracts exchange on the day the gavel falls and completion typically follows within around 20–28 days. The marketing run-up before the sale adds a few weeks, so plan for roughly four to eight weeks end to end.

How much does Allsop charge to sell?

Expect a seller's commission commonly around 2% + VAT (the wider market runs roughly 1%–3% + VAT), payable on a successful sale, plus your solicitor's cost of preparing the legal pack and sometimes a small entry fee. Buyers also pay a premium or admin fee, which influences how high they can bid. Always get the figures in writing.

Will I definitely get market value at auction?

Not necessarily. With competitive bidding a lot can reach or exceed its open-market value, but with thin interest it may sell at the reserve or remain unsold. Allsop's 2026 sales show success rates of roughly 76–90% of lots, which is strong but not a guarantee for any single property.

Is auction better than a cash buyer?

It depends on your priority. Auction can achieve a higher price than a cash buyer (who typically pays 75–85% of value) but carries bidding risk and fees, and completion is around 28 days rather than as little as 7. For maximum certainty and the fastest possible exit, a vetted cash buyer may win; for price upside on the right stock, auction may. Compare both for your home.

Sources & references

This review draws on public sources checked in June 2026, including Companies House (Allsop LLP, OC315531), Allsop's own published auction results, trade reporting of Allsop's 2026 sales in Property Week and Property Investor Today, the HM Land Registry UK House Price Index, and prevailing 2026 UK auction-fee guidance. Company and auction figures change over time — verify the current position before you rely on it.