What the Summer Property Market Is Telling Us About Autumn 2026

Summer can be a difficult time to read the property market.

Families go away, house hunting competes with holidays and good weather, and some of the most reliable housing statistics arrive several weeks after the activity they measure.

But as September approaches, we now have enough evidence to get a clearer picture of what has been happening.

And for anyone thinking about buying or selling a home this autumn, there are some important lessons.

The short version?

Buyers have plenty of choice. Sellers need to be realistic. The market is still moving, but price and affordability matter more than ever.

Buyers have more homes to choose from

One of the clearest themes of 2026 has been the amount of property available for sale.

Propertymark’s latest Housing Insight Report also points to a well supplied sales market, with member branches reporting a steady flow of available homes and new instructions.¹

Rightmove says the number of homes on the market is now at a 12-year high for this time of year².

Its figures show an average of 65 properties for sale per estate agent in July, compared with 57 in February².

Propertymark’s report also found an average of 42 homes for sale per member branch, with another 9.5 properties coming onto the market during the month¹.

At the same time, the average branch registered 55 new prospective buyers and recorded 2.1 viewings for each available property¹.

That matters because buyers with more choice are generally less likely to feel they must make an immediate decision simply because another purchaser is waiting behind them.

For sellers, the opposite applies.

When your home is competing with dozens of others, standing out becomes considerably more important.

Sellers are discovering the importance of getting the price right

The latest asking-price figures provide a fairly clear indication of where the balance of power currently lies.

Rightmove reported that the average asking price of a newly listed property fell by 2% in August, taking the national average to £364,999².

That was the largest August fall for eight years².

Average asking prices were also 1% lower than they were a year earlier².

Some of that movement is seasonal. Asking prices often soften during the summer months.

But this year’s decline was larger than usual and comes at a time when buyers have an unusually wide choice of homes.

Propertymark’s June figures tell a similar story from another angle. 84% of member agents reported properties selling for less than their asking price¹.

For anyone preparing to sell this autumn, there is an important lesson here.

An ambitious asking price might feel like a good place from which to negotiate, but if it prevents buyers from viewing the property in the first place, it can work against you.

Rightmove has also found that nearly three-quarters of homes that successfully completed during 2026 had sold without first requiring a reduction in their asking price².

In other words, there is something to be said for getting the price right at the beginning rather than starting high and chasing the market later.

That does not mean accepting less than your property is worth.

It means looking carefully at comparable properties, recent local sales, competing listings and what buyers are actually prepared and able to pay.

But house prices have not collapsed

This is where property statistics need a little explanation.

You may see one headline saying asking prices are falling and another saying house prices are still rising.

Both can be true.

Rightmove measures the price sellers are asking for newly listed properties².

The Office for National Statistics’ UK House Price Index looks at completed property transactions, which naturally appear later³.

The latest ONS figures estimate that the average UK house price was £272,000 in June 2026, 2% higher than a year earlier³.

However, that annual growth rate had slowed from 3% in May, and average prices increased by only 0.1% between May and June³.

So the picture is not one of a dramatic national fall in property values.

It is better described as a market in which price growth has slowed and buyers have become more selective.

There are also considerable regional differences.

Conditions in London and parts of southern England have been softer, while some northern areas have continued to record stronger annual price performance³.

That is why national averages should only ever be a starting point when assessing an individual property.

Are buyers coming back?

There are some encouraging signs, but it would be premature to declare that the market has suddenly turned.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ July survey found that buyer demand remained subdued⁴.

Its measure of new buyer enquiries remained negative, as did its measure of newly agreed sales. In simple terms, more surveyors continued to report falling activity than rising activity⁴.

However, expectations for the next 12 months became slightly more positive⁴.

Rightmove has also reported a small improvement in buyer demand during the summer².

Taken together, the data suggest a market that remains cautious rather than one that has stopped functioning.

People are still buying homes.

They are simply taking more care over what they buy, what they pay and what the mortgage will cost them.

What does this mean if you are buying this autumn?

Having more property available can be an advantage.

It gives you something that was in short supply during the frantic markets of a few years ago: time to compare.

Use it wisely.

1. Look at a property twice

The first viewing is often emotional.

You notice the kitchen, garden or extra bedroom. On a second viewing, you are more likely to notice the roof, storage, traffic, neighbouring properties and all the practical details that can become important once you actually live there.

If possible, return at a different time of day.

2. Research before you offer

When there are plenty of homes for sale, asking price and selling price can be two very different things.

Look at recently sold properties nearby, compare similar homes currently on the market and consider how long the property you are viewing has been listed.

There may be scope to negotiate, but that does not mean every seller will accept a lower offer.

Base your decision on evidence rather than simply making a low bid because the wider market is quieter.

3. Know your mortgage position

Before becoming emotionally attached to a property, understand what you may realistically be able to borrow and, equally importantly, what monthly payment is comfortable for your household.

Mortgage affordability depends on much more than the property price.

Income, existing borrowing, household expenditure, deposit, credit history and individual lender criteria can all affect your options.

Getting your mortgage position clear early can put you in a stronger position when the right property appears.

4. Do not skip the survey and legal checks

A more negotiable market does not make due diligence any less important.

Your solicitor or conveyancer, property survey and searches can identify information that was not obvious at the viewing.

Buying a home is a major financial commitment. Saving a few days by rushing the checks is rarely worth discovering an expensive problem afterwards.

And if you are selling?

The autumn market traditionally brings renewed interest from people who put their moving plans on hold during the summer.

But there is no guarantee of a sudden surge in demand this September.

The homes most likely to attract attention will still be those that give buyers a compelling reason to view them.

That means presentation matters.

Good photographs matter.

Choosing an estate agent who understands the local market matters.

And, above all, the asking price matters.

With a large supply of property available, buyers can quickly move on to the next listing if a home appears expensive compared with similar properties.

The objective should not be to advertise at the highest price possible.

It should be to create enough genuine interest to put you in the strongest possible position to achieve a sale.

The rental market tells a different story

For renters, the balance between supply and demand remains much tighter.

Propertymark’s latest figures show around nine prospective tenants for every available rental property¹.

The ONS reported that average UK private rents reached £1,393 a month in July 2026, 3.7% higher than a year earlier³.

That was an acceleration from the 3.3% annual increase recorded in June³.

There are significant variations around the country, but the broader problem remains familiar: demand for rented homes continues to compete with constrained supply in many areas.

There has also been an important regulatory change this year.

In England, major provisions of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026⁵.

Among the changes, most assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies and Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions were abolished⁵.

It is still too early to attribute movements in rents or rental supply directly to those reforms. A number of economic, regulatory and market factors influence landlord and tenant behaviour.

The latest RICS survey does, however, continue to report pressure on landlord supply⁴.

So, what should we expect this autumn?

Anyone hoping for a simple prediction may be disappointed.

There are forces pulling the market in both directions.

Buyers have a large choice of homes and are proving price-sensitive. That puts pressure on sellers to be competitive.

At the same time, people still need to move for work, family, schools and changes in circumstances, so transactions continue even when confidence is weaker.

Mortgage costs remain an important constraint on affordability, and wider economic developments can influence both borrower confidence and mortgage pricing.

The most sensible conclusion is therefore not that prices are about to soar or collapse.

It is that autumn 2026 looks likely to remain a selective market.

For sellers, realistic pricing could make the difference between attracting genuine buyers and watching competing properties receive the attention.

For buyers, greater choice creates an opportunity to take more care, negotiate where appropriate and make sure both the property and the mortgage are right before committing.

Planning a move?

If you are hoping to buy a home this autumn, getting the mortgage side organised early can make the rest of the process considerably easier.

We can help you understand how much you may be able to borrow, what your monthly payments could look like and which mortgage options may be suitable for your circumstances.

That means when you do find the right home, you can make your decision with a clearer understanding of the finances behind it.

Your home/property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or other debt secured on it.

There may be a fee for mortgage advice. The precise amount of the fee will depend on your circumstances.

Think carefully before securing other debts against your home/property.

All the information in this article is correct as of the publish date 27^th August 2026. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. The information provided in this article, including text, graphics and images does not, and is not intended to, substitute advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available in this article are for general informational purposes only. Information in this article may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information.

Please be aware that by clicking on to any of the above links you are leaving our website. Please note that neither we nor HL Partnership Limited are responsible for the accuracy of the information contained within the linked site(s) accessible from this page.

Sources

1. Propertymark. (2026) Housing Insight Report: June 2026. [online] Available at: https://www.propertymark.co.uk/resource/housing-insight-report-june-2026.html [Accessed 25 August 2026].
2. Rightmove. (2026) House Price Index: August 2026. [online] Available at: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/news/house-price-index/ [Accessed 25 August 2026].
3. Office for National Statistics. (2026) Private rent and house prices, UK: August 2026. [online] Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/privaterentandhousepricesuk/august2026 [Accessed 25 August 2026].
4. Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. (2026) UK Residential Survey July 2026. [online] Available at: https://www.rics.org/news-insights/uk-residential-survey-july-2026      [Accessed 25 August 2026].
5. GOV.UK. (2026) Renters’ Rights Act overview for tenants. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/renters-rights-act-overview-for-tenants [Accessed 25 August 2026].