Two Elephants walk into a room…
A Comparative Look: Sotheby’s vs. Christie’s Performance in 2025
The art market in 2025 has been defined by a "flight to quality." Following a period of global economic recalibration, both Sotheby’s and Christie’s emerged with strong results, though their strategies for capturing the "New Wealth" of 2025 differed significantly.
While Sotheby's leaned heavily into the "lifestyle" ecosystem—integrating real estate, cars, and high-fashion—Christie's doubled down on its reputation for handling the world's most prestigious private estates and digital-physical hybrids.
The 2025 Scoreboard: Key Performance Metrics
To understand how these two giants stacked up this year, let’s look at the raw data. Sotheby’s edged ahead in total volume, while Christie’s maintained a higher average price point per lot in Fine Art.
* Total Consolidated Sales:
* Sotheby’s: $7.1 Billion (up 15% from 2024)
* Christie’s: $6.4 Billion (up 8% from 2024)
* Private Sales Revenue:
* Christie’s: $1.4 Billion (A record high, representing 22% of total turnover)
* Sotheby’s: $1.1 Billion (A slight dip as they pushed more "marquee" lots to the public stage)
* Luxury Category Growth (Watches, Jewelry, Handbags):
* Sotheby’s: 28% YoY growth (Driven by their permanent "Sotheby’s Salon" retail spaces)
* Christie’s: 12% YoY growth (Focusing on ultra-rare "Holy Grail" investment pieces)
* Digital & Online-Only Sales:
* Christie’s: 78% of all bids were placed online in 2025.
* Sotheby’s: 72% of all bids were placed online, though they saw higher engagement via their mobile app.
* New Buyer Acquisition:
* Sotheby’s: 38% of bidders were new to the house in 2025, with a significant influx from the Gen Z demographic.
* Christie’s: 31% of bidders were new, with the majority originating from the Asia-Pacific region.
Strategy Spotlight: Two Different Paths
Sotheby’s: The "Luxury Powerhouse"
In 2025, Sotheby’s successfully transitioned from a traditional auction house to a global luxury platform. By leveraging their acquisition of the Breuer Building in New York, they created a "department store for the 1%" where collectors can buy a Basquiat and a vintage Ferrari under the same roof. Their 2025 performance was bolstered by a massive 20% increase in sales within the "Collectibles" category, including high-end sports memorabilia and rare sneakers.
Christie’s: The "Curated Authority"
Christie’s maintained its lead in the "Old Masters" and "20th Century Icons" categories. Their 2025 strategy focused on the "Masterpiece" model—fewer auctions, but with higher-value items. Their "Private Sales" division outperformed Sotheby’s for the third year running, proving that the world’s most elite sellers still prefer Christie’s discretion when offloading nine-figure assets.
Looking Ahead to 2026
The 2025 data suggests that the "Big Two" are no longer just competing for the same paintings; they are competing for different types of collectors. Sotheby’s is winning the volume and youth game, while Christie’s remains the dominant force for high-value, discreet transactions.
