What Barnard Marcus does

Barnard Marcus is a London-based residential property auctioneer operating as a trading name of Sequence (UK) Limited, a private company registered in England and Wales (company number 4268443) that sits within The Connells Group, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of The Skipton Building Society. The firm conducts property auctions ten times per year at the Grand Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden, typically offering 200+ lots per event and selling 1,400+ properties annually, with average time from instruction to exchange of contracts reported at under four weeks. Barnard Marcus also operates as the London flagship of the Sequence auction network, which adds regional centres in Leeds and Norwich (William H Brown), Southampton (Fox & Sons), and Derby (Bagshaws Residential), collectively bringing 3,000+ lots to auction each year and raising more than £340m for clients.

Core services span live in-room auctions, online bidding (with a £6,500 security bond via SagePay integration), telephone and proxy bidding, free market appraisals, legal pack provision, viewing arrangements, and referrals to finance, conveyancing, mortgage, and insurance providers. The firm is supported by the wider Connells Group's 1,250+ offices and 595 trading branches across England, Wales and Scotland, which feed both listings and buyer interest, and by a proprietary marketing database of over 130,000 names. Sequence (UK) Limited operates under FCA authorisation via Connells Limited (FRN 302221) for regulated mortgage and non-investment insurance advice, and subscribes to The Property Ombudsman code.

Revenue is generated primarily through auction commission on hammer price plus a fixed £1,800 (VAT-inclusive) contract documentation charge per lot, with ancillary income from service provider referrals. The customer base spans private individuals (first-time buyers, investors, executors), corporate entities (mortgagees, receivers, asset managers), and property developers, with no single anchor customer dominating the book. Technology is built on third-party integrations rather than proprietary systems, and there are no disclosed AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Barnard Marcus

Legal name

Sequence (UK) Limited

Website

https://barnardmarcusauctions.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Barnard Marcus is a London-based residential property auctioneer operating as part of the Sequence network and The Connells Group, conducting ten auctions per year at the Grand Connaught Rooms and selling 1,400+ properties annually for private individuals, investors, corporate sellers, and developers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Property Auctions

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Real Estate Auctions (BPAJAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Commercial Real Estate Auctions (BPAJAEAB)

Keywords

• Residential property auctions
• Property auction services
• Auction house
• Online property bidding
• Property marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Auction Commission: Commission earned on successful property sales at auction, calculated as a percentage of the final hammer price.
2. Contract Documentation Charge: Fixed fee charged to buyers upon successful auction purchase. Standard charge is £1,800 inclusive of VAT per lot.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Barnard Marcus operates residential property auctions, primarily conducted at The Grand Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden, London. It supports in-person, online, telephone, and proxy bidding for the sale and purchase of residential properties, with approximately 200+ lots per auction and 10 auctions per year. The company is part of Sequence (UK) Limited and The Connells Group, leveraging a wider network of regional auction centres and 595 trading branches across the UK.

Product overview

Barnard Marcus Auctions is a property auction platform offering residential property auctions across the UK, with its primary London venue at the Grand Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden. The core product is the Property Auctions service, supported by an Online Bidding Platform for remote registration and bidding, and a Property Catalogue system providing lot listings with legal documentation. Additional services include Free Market Appraisal for sellers, Property Viewing Arrangements during the marketing period, Legal Documentation Services providing legal packs, and Service Provider Referrals for finance and conveyancing. The company also operates regional auction centers in Leeds, Southampton, Norwich, and Derby as part of the Sequence Group network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Property Auctions Residential property auction service conducted primarily in London at The Grand Connaught Rooms venue in Covent Garden. Supports in-person bidding, online bidding, telephone bidding, and proxy bidding options. Held 10 times per year with approximately 200+ lots per auction.
• Online Bidding Platform Web-based registration and bidding system enabling users to register for auctions, view property lots, access legal documentation, and bid online through the website. Online auctions require advance registration and a security deposit/bond of £6,500 (£5,000 deposit + £1,800 VAT-inclusive contract documentation charge).
• Property Catalogue Comprehensive listing of properties available at each auction, including guide prices, property descriptions, lot numbers, and access to legal packs with special conditions of sale. Available in printed and digital formats.
• Free Market Appraisal No-cost property valuation service to determine auction guide price and reserve price expectations before listing a property at auction.
• Property Viewing Arrangements Arrangement of property viewings during the marketing period, including block and open house viewings typically lasting two and a half weeks before auction.
• Service Provider Referrals Referrals to third-party service providers including finance, conveyancing, mortgage, and insurance services advertised in auction catalogues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average time from instruction to exchange of contracts is less than 4 weeks - less than half the UK average for traditional estate agencies
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• The Essential Information GroupsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPartner organisation that streams Barnard Marcus auctions live online, enabling remote participation for buyers who cannot attend in person.
• Sequence (UK) LimitedcoreOthersBarnard Marcus is a trading name of Sequence (UK) Limited, which is the parent company. Sequence is the UK's largest residential property auctioneer network with centres in London, Leeds, Norwich, Derby and Southampton.
• The Connells GroupcoreOthersBarnard Marcus and Sequence are part of The Connells Group, one of the largest, most profitable and diverse property services groups in the UK. The group includes 595 trading branches, land and planning advice, property rentals and management, corporate asset management, legal and mortgage services, and a large survey and valuation function.
• The Skipton Building SocietycoreOthersThe Connells Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Skipton Building Society, providing financial backing and integration with building society services.
• William H BrownsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional auction brand operated under William H Brown for Leeds and Norwich auction centres, part of the Sequence auction network.
• Fox & SonssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional auction brand operated under Fox & Sons for Southampton auction centre, part of the Sequence auction network.
• Bagshaws ResidentialsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional auction brand operated under Bagshaws Residential for Derby auction centre, part of the Sequence auction network.
• Central Bedfordshire Council (Primary Authority)supportingOthersPrimary Authority relationship established for Public Protection Trading Standards compliance.
• The Property OmbudsmansupportingOthersBarnard Marcus subscribes to The Property Ombudsman Code of Practice for complaint resolution.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Auction House UK: National UK residential property auction network with regional auction rooms across England and Wales. Directly comparable in offering regular scheduled auctions with multi-channel bidding and a regional centre model.
• Clive Emson Auctioneers: One of the UK's largest residential property auctioneers, holding regional auctions across southern England. Competes head-to-head with Sequence centres in the South East and offers the same legally binding hammer-price model.
• Savills Auctions: UK residential and commercial property auctioneer operating nationally. Savills runs regular in-room auctions and online bidding, directly competing with Barnard Marcus for high-value London residential lots and investor buyers.
• SDL Auctions (formerly BPI Auctions): Major UK residential and commercial auctioneer with strong regional presence. Competes with Sequence in the Midlands and North of England for lot supply and investor buyer demand.

Emerging players

• Purplebricks: Hybrid/online estate agency disrupting UK residential sales. While not an auctioneer, Purplebricks competes for the same seller relationships and represents a technology-driven alternative to the traditional auction channel.

Broad incumbents

• Knight Frank: Major UK and global property agency offering auctions as part of a broader portfolio including sales, lettings, and advisory. Competes for high-value London residential inventory and the same investor buyer segment.
• Foxtons: London-centric estate agency. While primarily a private-treaty broker, Foxtons targets the same affluent London residential seller and buyer segments that Barnard Marcus serves via auction.
• Countrywide Property Auctions: Part of the Countrywide group (now owned by Connells Group competitors), this broader UK estate agency network runs auctions as part of a wider property services portfolio. Comparable because it leverages a multi-branch estate agency network to feed auctions.

Others

• John Pye Auctions: UK auction house with significant property and asset disposal operations. Less direct overlap with Barnard Marcus's residential auction focus, but a relevant comparable for UK auctioneering operational model and buyer pool dynamics.

Regional players

• Andrew Scott Robertson: Mid-size UK property auctioneer primarily serving Wales and the South West. Comparable model (in-room auctions with online bidding) but with a more regional footprint than Barnard Marcus's London-centric brand.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Barnard-Marcus-Auctions-100669832654347
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barnardmarcusauctions
• Xx.com/barnardmarcusau

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Barnard Marcus