Overview

• There are 13% more homes listed than a year ago, fuelling the busiest May for home sales since 2021.
• Sellers are accepting offers around £16,000 below their average £367,000 asking price, reflecting a 3% negotiation margin.
• Lower mortgage rates and eased affordability calculations have boosted buyers’ borrowing capacity and supported rising sales.
• The North West is outperforming other regions, with Blackburn house prices up 5.8% year-on-year and strong gains also in Wigan and Birkenhead.
• A surge in listings in southern England—21% more in the South West, 17% in London and 15% in the South East—is tempering local price growth.