Property market insights
Prices are only one part of the picture. These are the measures that explain where the residential, rental and commercial markets are heading, and where to find the latest official figures for each.
About the figuresWe do not publish estimated statistics. Each topic links to the organisation that produces the data, so the numbers you see are current and authoritative. Live values can be shown here once a data feed is connected.
UK house prices
The average price paid for a home, tracked nationally and by region, country and property type.
Official figures are based on completed sales, so they are reliable but lag the market by a few months. Lender and portal indices are more timely but measure different things: mortgage approvals or asking prices. Reading them together gives the fullest picture.
What to watch
- Annual versus monthly change
- Differences between property types
- Asking prices against sold prices
Latest figure—
UK House Price Index, HM Land RegistryBuyer demand
How many people are looking, enquiring and getting mortgages approved.
Demand responds quickly to mortgage rates and confidence. Mortgage approvals for house purchase are a useful leading indicator because they show intent a month or two before sales complete.
What to watch
- Mortgage approvals for house purchase
- New buyer enquiries reported by agents
- First-time buyer activity
Latest figure—
Money and Credit, Bank of EnglandSales activity
The number of homes changing hands each month.
Transaction counts show how liquid the market is. Prices can hold steady while activity falls sharply, which matters to anyone who needs to sell within a set time.
What to watch
- Monthly residential transactions
- Time from listing to agreed sale
- Fall-through rates
Latest figure—
UK property transaction statistics, HMRCSupply
Homes coming to market and new homes being built.
When few homes are listed, buyers compete and prices are supported even if demand is subdued. New-build completions add to supply over the longer term and vary widely by region.
What to watch
- New instructions to agents
- Stock per agent branch
- New-build starts and completions
Latest figure—
Housing supply statistics, GOV.UKRental market
What tenants are paying and how rents are changing.
Rental figures split between rents on new lets, which move quickly, and rents across all existing tenancies, which move slowly. Tenant demand relative to available homes drives both.
What to watch
- Annual change in private rents
- Regional differences
- Landlord instructions against tenant demand
Latest figure—
Private rent and house prices, ONSCommercial property
Offices, retail and industrial space, for occupiers and investors.
Commercial sectors rarely move together. Industrial and logistics, offices and retail each respond to different pressures, so sector-level surveys are more useful than a single headline.
What to watch
- Occupier demand by sector
- Availability and vacancy
- Investor enquiries and yields
Latest figure—
Market surveys, RICSOne country, many markets
National averages hide large local differences. The nations of the UK also have their own property taxes and, in Scotland, a different buying process.
| Region | What to bear in mind |
|---|---|
| London & South East | The highest prices relative to earnings, which makes this region the most sensitive to changes in mortgage rates. |
| Midlands & North of England | Lower entry prices and stronger rental yields, with performance varying sharply between neighbouring towns. |
| Scotland | A distinct legal system for buying and selling, with offers over a guide price and Land and Buildings Transaction Tax. |
| Wales | Land Transaction Tax applies in place of Stamp Duty, with its own bands and rates. |
| Northern Ireland | Tracked through its own official house price index, published quarterly. |
Ask an agent what is happening on your street
Local agents see demand and pricing change before the indices do.