The UK property market taped 27,200 homes offered based on contract in week 20 of 2026, keeping momentum in spite of ongoing financial and geopolitical headwinds, according to the current market information.
The figure represents a small reduction from the previous week’s 27,000 sales, however remains above the 10-year week 20 average of 25,300 deals and the 2026 weekly average of 24,900 sales.
Year-to-date efficiency
Cumulative sales for 2026 reached 499,000 homes sold based on contract by week 20, down 5.3% compared to the same period in 2025 when 527,000 transactions were tape-recorded. Nevertheless, the figure marks a 3% boost on 2024’s year-to-date total of 484,000 and sits 11.2% above the pre-pandemic 2017-19 average of 449,000.
New listings totalled 39,600 for the week, down from 41,800 the previous week but still above the weekly 2026 average of 37,600. Year-to-date listings reached 753,000, partially ahead of 2025’s 747,000 and 6.6% greater than 2024’s 706,000.
Price decreases and market dynamics
Price reductions affected 27,200 residential or commercial properties throughout the week, with 13.1% of the UK’s 731,000 homes for sale minimized in April 2026. This compares to a 2025 average of 12.8% and a six-year average of 10.7%.
The space between initial listing costs and agreed list price expanded to 21.6%, considerably above the long-term 10-year average of 16-17%. Typical listing rates stood at ₤ 447,000 compared to average agreed costs of ₤ 368,000.
Market stock levels reached 731,000 homes on 1 May 2026, up from 714,000 a year earlier. The sales pipeline contained 461,000 homes, somewhat higher than the 447,000 recorded in May 2025.
Exchanges and completions
April 2026 saw 73,900 exchanges, up from 69,400 in April 2025. Nevertheless, year-to-date exchanges to the end of April amounted to 288,000, down 8% from 314,000 in the exact same duration of 2025, reflecting the end of a stamp task vacation in April 2025.
The fall-through rate stood at 22.5%, listed below the decade average of 24.5%. Some 5.1% of homes sold subject to agreement failed in April 2026, lower than both the 2025 average of 5.3% and the 10-year average of 5.8%.
Net sales, computed as gross sales minus fall-throughs, reached 21,000 for week 20, matching the 10-year average and the 2026 weekly average of 19,500. Year-to-date net sales amounted to 390,000, down 3.3% on 2025 but 2.9% ahead of 2024.
Rental market patterns
The rental sector revealed minimal movement, with average leas in May 2026 reaching ₤ 1,780 per calendar month, practically the same from ₤ 1,779 in May 2025. Rental stock readily available stood at 302,000 homes in April 2026, compared to 303,000 a year earlier. The obstacles facing property managers with fragmented data systems continue to affect the sector, while modifications to rental legislation are improving the market landscape.
Rate efficiency
Residences with agreed sales in April 2026 averaged ₤ 345.18 per square foot, representing a 1.8% increase on the ₤ 339.10 tape-recorded 12 months previously and 11.3% greater than the ₤ 310.18 recorded 5 years earlier.
The sell-through rate, measuring the portion of homes on representatives’ books that went sold based on contract, stood at 14.6% in April 2026, below 15.5% in March 2026 and slightly listed below the pre-pandemic average of 15.5%.
April withdrawals totalled 62,800, up from 61,000 in April 2025, indicating 45.9% of all homes that left estate agents’ books in April went unsold. The probability of selling, determining the percentage of homes that exchanged and completed versus those withdrawn, reached 54.1% in April 2026, listed below the seven-year average of 57.6%.