In the Seoul real estate market, the number of real estate whose owners have changed after a court a..

In the Seoul real estate market, the number of real estate whose owners have changed after a court auction due to the burden of repaying loans has increased in a year.

In particular, applications for registration of ownership transfer due to the sale of voluntary auctions increased mainly in the southwestern region, and there was a clear difference in the flow of each autonomous district.

According to an analysis of data from the Supreme Court’s registration information square by the real estate information app Collective on the 2nd, a total of 308 applications for ownership transfer registration were received in Seoul in May due to the sale of a voluntary auction.

This is an increase of 62 cases and 25.2% compared to the same month last year (May 2025, 246 cases).

The registration of transfer of ownership due to a voluntary auction refers to the registration of real estate held as collateral because the debtor fails to pay back debts such as mortgage loans to be auctioned in court, and the ownership handed over to the successful bidder is transferred to the new owner. The increase in the number of applications means that the number of real estate whose owners have changed through auctions has increased.

Guro-gu is ‘No. 1’ with 5 cases → 72 cases

Guro-gu recorded the highest number of applications among Seoul’s 25 autonomous districts with 72 cases during this period. Compared to the same month last year (5 cases), the number increased by 67 and expanded more than 14 times.

In other words, the number of applications in one Guro-gu accounted for 23.4% of the total number of applications in Seoul (308 cases).

This trend continued in the neighboring southwestern autonomous region. Geumcheon-gu increased 21 cases from 2 to 23, and Gangseo-gu increased 24 cases from 16 to 40, ranking in the top after Guro-gu. Dongjak-gu also increased from 18 to 23. The total of the three districts of Guro, Geumcheon, and Gangseo was 135, accounting for 43.8% of Seoul.

Jongno and Gwangjin also increased…The number of Gangnam and Gwanak has decreased

Jongno-gu increased from 3 to 11 and Gwangjin-gu from 3 to 9.

On the other hand, Gangnam-gu recorded the lowest number of applications among autonomous districts, down seven from nine to two, while Gwanak-gu saw a decrease of 20 from 28 to eight. Seongbuk-gu (15 cases → 6) and Yeongdeungpo-gu (18 cases → 10 cases) also decreased, showing a difference in the flow by autonomous district.

Industry analysts say that the aftermath of steep interest rate hikes from the second half of 2021 to 2022 is leading to an increase in auction items amid the continued shadow of the economic downturn after the COVID-19 crisis.

According to a collection official, “During this period, 308 applications for the transfer of ownership of the sale due to voluntary auctions in Seoul increased 25.2% year-on-year, and Guro-gu had the highest number of applications with 72,” he said. “The number of applications increased mainly in the southwestern regions such as Guro, Geumcheon, and Gangseo, leading to the overall increase in Seoul.”

“On the other hand, Gangnam-gu and Gwanak-gu have seen a decrease in the number of applications, and differences have been confirmed in the flow of each autonomous district,” he added.