2 Jun 2026

UK Property Market Update May 2026: Sales Still Happening… But Homes Are Taking Longer to Sell

The UK property market in May 2026 continues to show a clear split. On the surface, activity looks relatively steady compared to last year, but underneath, the percentage of new listings successfully selling has dropped sharply.

This update breaks down what’s really happening using real market data, comparing May 2026 with May 2025, and looking at the year-to-date picture.

The Headline: Sales Are Still Happening

At a headline level, the market still feels active.

Houses sold (May 2026): 155
May 2025: 210
Flats sold (May 2026): 40
May 2025: 47

Yes, sales are down slightly ,but not dramatically.

👉 The market is still moving. Deals are still being agreed.

And that’s why much of the wider narrative continues to describe the market as “resilient”.

But New Listings Tell a Different Story

When we look at what’s happening to new properties coming to market in May, the shift becomes much clearer.

🏡 Houses (May instructions)

2026: 231 listed → 27 sold (11.7%)
2025: 286 listed → 141 sold (49.3%)

🏢 Flats (May instructions)

2026: 53 listed → 2 sold (3.8%)
2025: 41 listed → 20 sold (48.8%)

That’s a dramatic change.

👉 Houses: from ~1 in 2 selling → closer to 1 in 9
👉 Flats: from ~1 in 2 → almost none converting

Why This Matters

This is the key shift in the UK property market in 2026:

There are now two markets happening at once.

1. Sales Activity (what you see in headlines)

Properties going SSTC each month
Still relatively stable

2. Conversion Rate (what really matters)

The percentage of new listings that actually sell
Down significantly

Those 155 house sales in May didn’t all come from properties listed in May.

They came from:

Homes listed earlier in the year
Properties that have taken longer to find a buyer

👉 In simple terms:
Older stock is driving today’s sales figures

UK Property Market 2026: Year-to-Date Trends (Jan-May)

Looking at the market from January through to the end of May, the pattern becomes even clearer.

🏡 Houses

2026: 1,195 listed → 331 sold (27.7%)
2025: 1,228 listed → 651 sold (53.0%)

🏢 Flats

2026: 234 listed → 45 sold (19.2%)
2025: 249 listed → 110 sold (44.2%)

✅ What this tells us

Listing levels are very similar
Sales are still flowing through the system
But conversion has roughly halved

👉 The market hasn’t stopped, it’s just slowed down significantly

What’s Driving This?

This aligns with what’s being seen across the wider market:

Higher mortgage rates impacting affordability
Increased stock levels giving buyers more choice
Buyers taking longer to make decisions
Greater sensitivity to pricing

👉 Buyers are still there but they’re far more selective

What This Means for Sellers

This is where the biggest shift has happened.

In 2025:

A large proportion of homes would sell
Momentum was on your side

In 2026:

The market is more competitive
Buyers have more choice
Pricing is critical

👉 If a property doesn’t attract interest early, it becomes much harder to sell later

What This Means for Buyers

For buyers, the shift creates opportunity:

More choice
Less urgency
Greater ability to negotiate

But:

👉 The best properties, priced correctly, are still selling quickly

Final Thought

May 2026 confirms what we first saw in April.

Sales are still happening
But homes are taking longer to sell
And fewer new listings are converting into deals

If you’re thinking of selling in 2026, understanding how the current UK property market is behaving could make a significant difference to your result.

Because right now:

👉 It’s not just about being on the market…
👉 It’s about being the right option on the market.

#UKPropertyMarket #PropertyMarketUpdate #HousingMarket #PropertyTrends #EstateAgentsUK #PropertyData #MarketInsights #SellingYourHome #HomeBuyers #RealEstateAnalytics #NorthWestProperty

UK Property Market Update May 2026: Sales Still Happening… But Homes Are Taking Longer to Sell

The Headline: Sales Are Still Happening