MLM Estate Agents - Magazine - Page 5
enters a traditional autumn period of
activity. More people actively
searching means more opportunities
for well presented, accurately
marketed homes to attract viewings
and serious interest.
HOUSE PRICES REMAIN
RESILIENT
Nationwide’s August House Price
Index added another positive note,
with UK house prices rising 0.2%
month on month after seasonal
adjustment. Annual house price
growth stood at 1.6%, up from 1.4% in
July.
Official figures have also continued
to show annual gains. The Office for
National Statistics reported that the
average UK house price reached
£272,000 in June, 2.0% higher than a
year earlier. England, Wales and
Scotland all recorded annual
increases.
There are strong regional success
stories too. Nationwide’s second
quarter regional figures showed
Northern Ireland leading the UK,
with annual price growth of 8.6%. For
sellers, this is a useful reminder that
national headlines never tell the
whole story and many local markets
continue to perform strongly.
encouraging. ONS figures showed
the average UK private rent reaching
£1,393 per month in July, an annual
increase of 3.7%. Average rents rose
by 3.8% in England, 4.5% in Wales
and 1.7% in Scotland.
Propertymark has also reported that
rental demand continues to exceed
available supply, with an average of
nine applicants for each available
property in June. This competition
reinforces the value of professionally
managed, good quality rental
accommodation.
BUY TO LET FUNDAMENTALS
LOOK HEALTHY
UK Finance data provides further
positive news for property investors.
In the first quarter of 2026, 58,272
new buy to let loans were advanced,
3.26% more than a year earlier, while
the total value of lending rose 7.02%.
Average gross buy to let rental yields
reached 7.21%, compared with 6.93%
a year earlier. At the same time, the
average interest rate across new buy
to let loans was 4.71%, 0.29
percentage points lower than in the
first quarter of 2025. Second quarter
figures also showed buy to let
mortgages in arrears falling by 6%
compared with the previous quarter.
TRANSACTIONS KEEP
MOVING
A PROMISING AUTUMN
AHEAD
Homes are continuing to change
hands in substantial numbers. HMRC
recorded 106,620 unadjusted UK
residential transactions in July, 5%
more than in July 2025 and 3% more
than in June. The figures underline
the depth of the market and the
continuing willingness of households
to make their next move.
Taken together, the figures provide a
constructive backdrop for October.
Buyers are searching, properties are
selling, values remain higher than a
year ago on major measures, and
rental demand continues to support
landlords. For anyone thinking about
selling, letting or expanding a
portfolio, local expertise and an
accurate understanding of demand
could help turn these encouraging
national trends into a successful
autumn move.
RENTAL DEMAND REMAINS
STRONG
For landlords, the latest rental
indicators are particularly
LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
5
