The organisation, which is responsible for managing 220,000ha across the UK and a portfolio of 45,000 residential properties, awarded Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) a two-year contract in February to sell hundreds of MoD properties under the hammer.

LSH has been working for years with the MoD and the DIO. Since the early 2000s, it has sold land, houses, vacant shops and even telecommunication masts all over the UK on its behalf.

This mandate, however, is different. In an unprecedented move, the DIO wants to sell the latest tranche of properties exclusively via online auction.