UK Property Market Week 29: Plenty of Listings, Not Enough Buyers

Week 29 delivered another reminder that activity does not automatically mean success in today’s UK property market.

Some 33.6k homes came onto the market, almost identical to both a fortnight ago and the 10-year Week 29 average of 33.5k. Year to Date, New listings in 2026 are now level with 2025, 4.1% ahead of 2024 and 11.4% above the pre-Covid average.

Meanwhile, 24k homes sold STC, slightly below the long-term Week 29 average of 24.8k. Year-to-date sales agreed remain identical to 2024, suggesting demand is holding steady, but it is not keeping pace with the sheer volume of homes competing for attention.

The wider figures expose the brutal reality. Only 13.8% of homes on estate agents’ books secured a buyer in June, while just 50.8% of the homes leaving agents’ books exchanged, completed and resulted in the homeowner moving. The other 49.2% were withdrawn and homeowner unsold.

Prices remain surprisingly resilient. The average agreed price reached £350.22 per square foot in June, 1.9% higher than a year ago and 12.3% above June 2021. Average UK rents also stood at £1,778 pcm in Week 29, compared with a 2026 year-to-date average of £1,762 pcm.

The market is not dead. Buyers are buying and prices are holding. However, with so much competition, homeowners cannot afford lazy marketing, poor presentation or fantasy pricing. The homes that look like value are selling. The rest are being swiped past.