The spring season has facilitated an increase in sales agreed. Part of this is the seasonal increase in demand spring typically brings. Yet another factor is that first-time buyers are taking advantage of preferable property prices and a higher volume of listings across the country, thereby encouraging buyers to exercise greater agency in selecting which property to purchase.
Global economic pressures continue to influence the UK property market – in particular inflation and interest rates – but the noticeable uptick in sales agreed suggests that buyers have been nimbly adapting to this set of economic circumstances.
Increased Sales Activity
According to Propertymark, several UK estate agency branches have recorded growth in lettings and sales activities in March 2026, even though this month witnessed considerable affordability changes due to the sharp increases in mortgage rates and inflation.
On average, branches typically held 10.01 properties for sale during March. Yet the average number of sales agreed per member branch increased to 8.14. Viewing activity reached 2.8 views per available property, and new prospective buyer registration increased to an average of 78 per branch.
Listings have seen a considerable increase. The latest Sales Mark Intelligence Report from Sprift indicates that there were 216,629 new properties being listed across the UK in April, up 6.1% compared to March. During this same period, sales agreed rose by 10% to 112,825 transactions.
The data also reveals that some regions experienced significant listing growth. For week 19 of 2026, there were 41.8k new properties that entered the market, up from 34.6k the previous week. Bristol has seen a huge increase at 16.7%, followed by Hertfordshire at 16.1%, Surrey at 15.5%, Buckinghamshire at 14.9%, and Wiltshire at 14.1%.
For this reason, Verona Frankish, the chief executive officer at Yopa, said: ‘England’s housing market is showing real signs of growth in 2026, with listings well up on the start of the year. What we’re seeing is renewed seller confidence translating into greater choice for buyers, which is helping to rebalance what has been a supply-constrained market in recent times.’
The national conversion rate, which calculates the proportion of new listed properties that were sold subject to contract, increased to 52.1%, up 1.9% month-on-month. In some regions, as in the case of Scotland, the conversion rate stood as high as 70.6%. Further, the two-bedroom bungalow sector attained a conversion rate of 70.8%.
Sprift identified that one reason for the increase in sales agreed is due to consumers successfully negotiating for price reductions. Of the volume of properties that were sold, 35.8% underwent price reduction before a sale was achieved; the average reduction was 8.8% of the initial asking price.
Matt Gilpin, the founder and CEO of Sprift, commented that ‘April’s market held firm against wider economic uncertainty’, adding: ‘Our data indicates that agents staying close to local market conditions, using real property-level insight and pricing with precision, are converting faster and building momentum. Others continue to see stock sit and reductions rise.’
Higher First-Time Buyer Activity
Of the 735,876 properties listed by the end of April, a listed property remained on the market for an average of 148 days. UK Finance has observed that first-time buyer activity is continuing to rise, with 55% of all property purchases (compared to 39% a decade and a half ago) coming from first-time buyers.
West Oxfordshire has surfaced as a centre of activity for first-time buyers. According to Rightmove, West Oxfordshire has benefited from stable pricing conditions and improved supply: the number of available first-time buyer properties has increased by 37% compared to the previous year, and the average asking prices have fallen by 0.8%. Close behind are East Staffordshire and Bracknell Forest, with first-time buyer demand rising by 31% and 28% respectively.
Current asking prices have been conducive towards first-time buyer activity. Rightmove noted that 17 of the top 25 first-time buyer hotspots have average asking prices below the national average of £228,048 for a conventional starter home. Moreover, increased listings have facilitated more opportunities for first-time buyers to enter the market. The available supply year-on-year in 21 of the top 25 first-time buyer hotspots rose by 14%.
Colleen Babcock, a property expert at Rightmove, said: ‘In some of these areas, a rise in the number of suitable starter homes coming onto the market, alongside prices edging down year-on-year, is helping to improve affordability and support demand for first-time buyer properties, with each local market shaped by its own unique dynamics and local economy.’
Improved Market Activity
Despite ongoing economic challenges, the combination of a larger volume of listings, greater flexibility on property asking prices, and heightened consumer demand (especially for first-time buyers) has elevated sales across the country.
Consumers have acted pragmatically in responding to the economic circumstances, taking advantage of the favourable market conditions against the background of higher inflation and mortgage rates. This capitalisation is reflected in the rise in agreed sales.
