Ritchie Bros.’ Q2 2026 Market Trends Report reveals a widening gap between buyers and available stock across Europe’s used equipment market, with demand outrunning supply from access equipment to agriculture. For sellers, it points to a rare second-half opportunity.
Demand for used tractor units across Europe climbed 72% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, even as the number of machines listed for sale fell 26% – a striking mismatch that captures a market now tilting firmly in sellers’ favour. New data from Ritchie Bros. shows the pattern extends well beyond transport: across construction, access and agriculture, buyer appetite is rising faster than the stock available to meet it, prices are holding or climbing, and competition for well-specified machines is intensifying. For anyone buying or selling this year, the balance of the market is shifting – and the businesses that read it correctly, and act with the right support behind them, are the ones best placed to come out ahead
Demand is outrunning supply
That transport squeeze is the sharpest example of a pattern running right across the market. When enquiries climb by nearly three-quarters while available stock shrinks by a quarter, pricing power shifts decisively toward the seller – and the machines being chased are the well presented, well-documented ones. For a business sitting on the right truck, this is a window that may not stay open through the second half.
Scissor lifts show the same forces at work in access equipment. Buyer demand grew 24% year-on-year – the strongest growth of any category in the report – and auction prices rose 13%, notably on machines that were older and higher-hours than a year ago. When buyers pay more for older equipment, it is a clear sign of demand-led strength rather than a quirk of what happened to come to market.
Quality is still commanding a premium
The premium on better machines that defined early 2026 carried into the second quarter. Crawler excavators – a workhorse of European construction – saw auction sales rise 14% year-on year at essentially stable prices, with the machines clearing the market running fewer hours than a year ago: buyers securing fresher inventory for the same money. Boom lifts posted one of the clearest price stories of the quarter, with median auction values up 10% on machines a year younger at the median.
Tightening inventory remains the market’s defining structural feature. Tractor listings on Mascus fell 19% year-on-year in Q2 – extending the contraction that has made agriculture one of the tightest categories – while tractor units listings dropped 26%. Even so, the tractor data carries a nuanced message: median auction prices held broadly stable at just under €27,000, a clear stabilisation after the sharper correction seen at the start of the year.
«Across Europe, we’re seeing a market where buyer demand consistently outpacing the supply of quality used equipment, says Ghislaine Duijmelings, International General Manager at Ritchie Bros. «This creates a significant opportunity for businesses looking to sell, but taking full advantage of these conditions requires more than market timing. It requires the right partner to provide market insight, connect sellers with a global network of buyers, and manage every step of the sale process. As market conditions continue to evolve, having the right expertise and access to international demand can make a meaningful difference when bringing equipment to market.
Regional Market Highlights
• The Netherlands sits at the centre of European demand in Q2, leading Mascus buyer enquiries for boom lifts, scissor lifts and tractor units, and holding top-three auction positions across the access categories.
• The UK remains one of Europe’s most consistent secondary markets, leading buyer enquiries for crawler excavators and holding the number one auction position for the category for the second year running – a reflection of steady infrastructure activity and reliable fleet rotation.
• Germany and Sweden anchor demand in agriculture, leading tractor enquiries on Mascus, while their scale across construction and access keeps them near the top of the rankings in almost every category.
• Spain continues to punch above its weight, remaining the leading auction buyer for tractor units and appearing consistently across the top three in the access categories.
• Romania entered the top five auction buyer markets for tractor units, the latest sign of an ongoing eastward expansion in secondary transport activity as logistics investment grows across Central and Eastern Europe – and as new buyers enter the market and move quickly.
More than a marketplace
The second half of 2026 is shaping up as a sellers’ opportunity in several categories – but rising demand only translates into results when the transaction is handled well. Many businesses are holding assets longer and weighing replacement decisions carefully amid economic uncertainty; in that context, the value of a trusted local partner with international reach is greater than ever.
Through its global auction platforms, online marketplaces and dedicated local teams, Ritchie Bros. helps customers across Europe not only read the market but move through every stage of a sale with confidence – from valuation and inspection to logistics, customs and documentation. That combination of local operational expertise and global buyer access is at the heart of the company’s Super September campaign, helping sellers unlock demand well beyond their domestic market.
Deeper analysis is available now in the Market Trends Report Q2 2026, to help businesses buy smarter, sell better and grow more with confidence through the rest of the year.
