Purpose - The purpose of this research is to investigate development competitions in England in order to uncover any shortcomings and point to improvements. A "development competition" is a sale by tender of publicly-owned land with development potential where bidders also submit designs.Design methodology approach - First, an interview survey of local authorities in north-east England; second an interview survey with developers in north-east England; third a questionnaire survey of local authority estates officers and fourth an interview survey with London based property consultants.Findings - Despite their theoretical attractions, some competitions have problems. Conflict exists between professions and agencies. Development competitions encounter difficulties between developer appointment and construction which may lead to delay or the developer pulling out.Research limitations implications - The data collected are biased in favour of the financial property perspective. Further research is therefore still required.Practical implications - Despite its practical significance, no literature exists on this specific topic. The results reveal delays, disputes and sub-optimal use of resources. Further research is needed leading to new official guidance covering all aspects of this process.Originality value - Large numbers of competitions are held in the UK each year. The disposal of sites in this way has become more significant due to the concentration of activity on brown-field land. In future, the need to assemble urban land using compulsory purchase powers is likely to make competitions more frequent. These results, which highlight best practice, will be of interest to all professional people involved.