Overview

• Typical new-seller asking prices rose 0.4% in September to £370,257, the first monthly increase since May, according to Rightmove.
• The number of sales agreed was 4% higher than a year earlier as buyers responded to more competitive pricing.
• Regional divergence persists, with the South West down 1.3% year on year and the North West up 3.2%, while the stock of homes for sale in the South is up 9% versus 2% elsewhere and it takes five extra days to find a buyer.
• Nationwide reported a 0.1% monthly dip in August to an average price of £271,079, with annual growth easing to 2.1%.
• Hamptons said newly agreed rents fell 0.4% year on year in August to £1,387, while mortgage rates have edged up recently and property-tax rumours ahead of the Budget are adding uncertainty without clear shifts in activity yet.