A staggering R55m was achieved at Aucor's multiple property investment auction held in Johannesburg last month, with more than 300 bidders packing the venue.

"All 15 properties, which were a mix of industrial, commercial and residential properties, went for prices that are very encouraging for any future property sellers," says Aucor's James Dall. "Sanlam owned a large portion of the portfolio, and they were over the moon with their returns."

The top price achieved was R8m paid for a multi-use industrial complex in Midrand.

Close on its heels was a shopping centre in Vereeniging, which fetched R7,9m.

A Kempton Park supermarket-flat complex, anchored by Woolworths, went for R6m, and industrial land in Spartan went for R2,4m.

Part of the same auction, but an onsite sale, was the Durban landmark John Ross House, which attracted bidders from all over SA.

Having the public works department as an anchor tenant with a lease running until June 2009 assisted Aucor in achieving an unexpectedly high R9,75m.

Since January, Aucor has sold well over R100m at its multiple-property auctions.

The next auction will take place at the end of the month.