The UK property market recorded 27,200 homes sold subject to contract in week 20 of 2026, maintaining momentum despite ongoing economic and geopolitical headwinds, according to the latest market data.
The figure represents a slight decrease from the previous week’s 27,000 sales, but remains above the 10-year week 20 average of 25,300 transactions and the 2026 weekly average of 24,900 sales.
Year-to-date performance
Cumulative sales for 2026 reached 499,000 homes sold subject to contract by week 20, down 5.3% compared to the same period in 2025 when 527,000 transactions were recorded. However, the figure marks a 3% increase 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, marginally ahead of 2025’s 747,000 and 6.6% higher than 2024’s 706,000.
Price reductions and market dynamics
Price reductions affected 27,200 properties during the week, with 13.1% of the UK’s 731,000 homes for sale reduced in April 2026. This compares to a 2025 average of 12.8% and a six-year average of 10.7%.
The gap between initial listing prices and agreed sale prices widened to 21.6%, significantly above the long-term 10-year average of 16-17%. Average listing prices stood at £447,000 compared to average agreed prices 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, slightly 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. However, year-to-date exchanges to the end of April totalled 288,000, down 8% from 314,000 in the same period of 2025, reflecting the end of a stamp duty holiday in April 2025.
The fall-through rate stood at 22.5%, below the decade average of 24.5%. Some 5.1% of homes sold subject to contract fell through in April 2026, lower than both the 2025 average of 5.3% and the 10-year average of 5.8%.
Net sales, calculated 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 totalled 390,000, down 3.3% on 2025 but 2.9% ahead of 2024.
Rental market trends
The rental sector showed minimal movement, with average rents in May 2026 reaching £1,780 per calendar month, virtually unchanged from £1,779 in May 2025. Rental stock available stood at 302,000 properties in April 2026, compared to 303,000 a year earlier. The challenges facing landlords with fragmented data systems continue to affect the sector, while changes to rental legislation are reshaping the market landscape.
Price performance
Properties with agreed sales in April 2026 averaged £345.18 per square foot, representing a 1.8% increase on the £339.10 recorded 12 months earlier and 11.3% higher than the £310.18 recorded five years ago.
The sell-through rate, measuring the percentage of homes on agents’ books that went sold subject to contract, stood at 14.6% in April 2026, down from 15.5% in March 2026 and slightly below the pre-pandemic average of 15.5%.
April withdrawals totalled 62,800, up from 61,000 in April 2025, meaning 45.9% of all homes that left estate agents’ books in April went unsold. The probability of selling, measuring the percentage of homes that exchanged and completed versus those withdrawn, reached 54.1% in April 2026, below the seven-year average of 57.6%.