The first half of 2026 has revealed “immense financial challenges” in the property market, according to the latest housing insight report from Propertymark.
Writing in the foreword to the report, Propertymark CEO Nathan Emerson highlights the “two very different stories” being told between January and the months since.
“Less than six months ago, consumer confidence felt as though it was on a steady footing”, he said. “Then we witnessed the direct and rapid impact of global unrest ripple through nearly every aspect of the economy.”
Propertymark’s report, which is based in responses to a monthly survey of its member agents, includes several key indicators of upcoming demand. Although UK sales volumes remained broadly static in June, prospective buyer registrations fell to an average of 55, down from 64 in May.
Viewing numbers also remained static at an average of 2.1, but new supply dropped marginally – down to 9.5 homes for sale per member branch in June, from 10.1 in May.
More positively, the time taken from acceptance to exchange has dipped, according to feedback from Propertymark member agents. Just over a third (35.4%) of those surveyed said they had seen sales agreed take more than 17 weeks to complete from the date of completion, compared to 40.4% in May.
Comments from members are mixed, with an East Midlands survey respondent saying the market “is certainly getting harder, with uncertainty and an abundance of stock, but limited sales”.
In Sussex, meanwhile, the market “has gradually improved” but “buyers remain cautious and wil only decide to view and purcase a property when it is realistically priced, and even then offer less than guide to factor in potential further drop in values in the near future”.
Referring to the external benchmarks in Propertymark’s report, including mortgage advance figures from UK Finance, Emerson added: “A key concern over the last few months has been witnessing both the number of mortgage approvals dip and the overall volume of mortgage lending fall significantly.
“This will very likely shape market sentiment in the coming months, and it remains something to watch closely, especially with the autumn budget fast approaching. It will be a case of closely monitoring what the new chancellor sets out regarding housing in the months ahead.”
