Buyer demand up 57% – Rightmove
Rightmove’s snapshot of January activity shows a 57% increase in buyer demand compared to the two weeks before Christmas, with the number of newly listed homes for sale up 81%. Although activity hasn’t reached the levels seen last year, when it was fuelled by generous stamp duty allowances, demand is in line with levels seen […]
‘Signs of renewed activity are emerging’, Landmark’s latest housing report finds
Property transaction activity in Q4 was dampened by hesitation despite early signs of renewed momentum towards the end of December, Landmark Information Group says in its latest Residential Property Trends Report – but signs of renewed activity are emerging. The property data company attributes external economic and fiscal factors as the cause of buyers and […]
Zoopla analysis finds ‘strong rebound in buyer demand’
New analysis from property website Zoopla has revealed strong buyer demand across the country, although the property portal says market conditions vary across the regions. “After a sluggish end to 2025 it is positive to see a strong rebound in buyer demand over the first weeks of the year across all parts of the country,” […]
Optimistic start to the year for RICS, as ‘housing market finds its feet’
The latest UK Residential Market Survey from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) sees the year start on an optimistic note, with members reporting “significantly more positive” near-term and 12-month sales expectations. Although the UK housing market remained “soft” at the end of 2025, RICS members report a return of confidence along with positive […]
End of year mortgage activity fell, but data points to stable 2026
Mortgage market activity slowed sharply in December, reflecting the typical seasonal pause at the end of the year, but underlying data points to a stronger overall position than seen earlier in the autumn, according to the latest Twenty7tec Market Snapshot report. Total mortgage searches reached 1,088,120 in December, down 22.6% month on month compared with […]
Leasehold reform: Which change will actually unlock the market?
In the first of a six-part weekly series from the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP), Mark Wilson, ALEP member and director of MyLeasehold, examines the changes that could have an impact on the property market. The government has seen off a High Court challenge from major freeholders over the Leasehold and Freehold Reform […]
Residential transactions up – industry predicts a positive year ahead
Seasonally adjusted residential transactions increased by 1% in November, from 99,060 in October 2025 to 100,350 in November 2025 – the highest seasonally adjusted residential transaction figure since March 2025. Non-seasonally adjusted residential transactions decreased by 12% in November relative to the previous month. Seasonally adjusted non-residential transactions also increased, with November seeing a 13% […]
Housing market chilled in December, Halifax reveals
The Halifax House Price Index for December recorded a dip of -0.6%, following a -0.1% fall in November. The average property price is now £297,755, the lowest since June. “While this may feel like a subdued close to the housing market in 2025, overall activity levels were resilient over the last year and broadly in […]
Rightmove reports busiest ever Boxing Day with 143% increase in listings
Rightmove has recorded the busiest ever Boxing Day for visits to its platform, with the five days after Christmas seeing a 67% increase in the number of enquiries sent to estate agents and a 143% increase in the number of properties listed for sale compared to the five days before Christmas Day. Visits to the […]
Mortgage approvals down, but conditions indicate ‘strong spring selling season’
The latest Money and Credit Report from the Bank of England reveals net mortgage approvals for house purchase, an indicator of future borrowing, fell by 500 to 64,500 in November. Net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals increased to £4.5 billion, following a decrease of £1 billion to £4.2 billion in October. The annual growth […]
Nationwide’s latest HPI reports steady demand in a resilient housing market
The housing market of 2025 was resilient, with demand that held up well, according to Nationwide’s House Price Index for December. Despite the year ending “on a softer note” in relation to house prices, Nationwide’s chief economist Robert Gardner said the word of the year was ‘resilient’. “Even though consumer sentiment was relatively subdued, with […]
RLBA calls on government to empower homeowners in property data revolution
The Residential Logbook Association (RLBA), the self-regulatory body for property logbook providers, has called on the government to be more ambitious in its aspirations for property data and to empower homeowners to take control of their property’s data. In its response to the government’s home buying and selling consultation, which closed on 29th December, the […]
Government launches consultations on rentcharges and mandatory adoption on private estates
Two consultations on reforms to leasehold and private estate management have been launched as the government puts the hastily passed Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 into action. Earlier this year, the Home Builders Federation (HBF) raised the issue of a ‘double whammy’ for homebuyers on private estates, with many new build developments passing the […]
2025 was strongest for home sales in three years, Zoopla says
Despite budget speculation hitting sales agreed in the last quarter of the year, Zoopla’s latest house price index reveals the housing market has had its strongest year for sales in three years, with a 9% increase in home moves compared to 2024. Stability in mortgage rates and stronger growth in household incomes encouraged more movers, […]
What’s in store for 2026? Property professionals share their predictions for the housing market
Despite stamp duty stampedes and budget-fuelled chaos, the housing market of 2025 can be summed up in one word: resilient. But with proposed reforms that could change the home buying landscape irrevocably, will 2026 be as steady? Estate agents and property professionals share their predictions. Rightmove Rightmove predicts that the 2026 market will be closer […]
Could falling inflation lead to reduction in Bank of England base rate?
Falling inflation figures published this week could result in the Bank of England taking the decision to reduce the base rate of interest today, according to some commentators. Inflation of 3.2% represents a fall from since the summer of 2025, but remains some way above the Bank of England’s 2% target. However, the fact it […]
Green credentials increasingly used as selling points for property sales despite limited progress on energy efficiency initiatives
Efforts to prepare the UK’s housing stock for the future appear to be falling on deaf ears, as home owners and landlords do little to improve the energy efficiency of homes. Property portal Rightmove has analysed 17 million EPC certificates and almost 30 million property listings from over the last decade. In 2015, 29% of […]
After a steady 2025, Halifax predicts a housing market of modest growth in 2026
The UK housing market performed broadly in line with expectations over the last year despite fluctuations triggered by stamp duty changes, Halifax says in its end of year review. Although forecasts are uncertain against an unsteady economic backdrop, the lender believes house prices will continue to rise modestly and affordability will ease slightly. As we […]
Property market ‘settling’ and ‘strengthening’, estate agents suggest in latest insight report
There is evidence the usual decline in new property market activity ahead of Christmas started a little earlier this year, ahead of the much anticipated November budget. The uncertainty surrounding tax increases and the potential introduction of stamp duty relief left many prospective home movers waiting to see what the outcome would be, according to […]
10,000 fewer property transactions in 2026, UK Finance predicts
The UK Finance Mortgage Market Forecast for 2026 predicts a 1% drop in property transactions, leading to 10,000 fewer transactions than in 2025. Lending for house purchases grew by 22% in 2025, to a total of £176 billion, according to the annual review by the trade association for the finance and banking sector. Next year, […]