Property News
UK house prices, autumn 2026: what the latest data means for agents
29 October 2026 · 3 min read
The autumn figures are in, and taken together they describe a market that is not falling but is not moving easily either. Here is what the main sources say, and what it means for the way an agency should be working between now and Christmas.
Sold prices: barely rising. The UK House Price Index from HM Land Registry and the ONS, published on 21 October 2026, puts the average UK price in August at £273,000. That is 0.9% higher than a year earlier, down from a revised 1.2% in July. Seasonally adjusted, prices fell 0.2% between July and August. London is the weakest region, with prices down 2.2% on the year, while Wales and Scotland are both up by around 3%.
“In a market with this much stock, the agent who prices right at instruction wins the sale, and the one who wins the instruction by overvaluing spends the winter phoning the vendor about a reduction.”
Asking prices: flat on the year. Rightmove's October index, published on 19 October, puts the average asking price of a newly listed home at £371,015. That is up 1.0% on September, but below the usual October rise of 1.3%, and 0.1% lower than a year ago. First-time buyer homes average £225,627, half a per cent lower than last October.
Stock: the highest for this time of year since 2014. Rightmove reports more homes for sale than at any October in over a decade, while agreed sales are 8% lower than a year ago and buyer enquiries 9% lower. Thirty-four per cent of homes on the market have had a price reduction, close to the 36% peak of September 2023.
Mortgages: the brake. The Bank of England held Bank Rate at 3.75% on 17 September, by six votes to three, with three members wanting a rise to 4%. Fixed rates have moved up regardless: Rightmove puts the average two-year fix at 5.55%. That is what is taking the edge off demand. The next rate decision is on 5 November.
What it means for an agency. The headline is that this is a buyer's market in all but name. There are more homes to choose from, buyers know it, and they are taking longer to commit. Three things follow.
First, pricing at instruction matters more than it has for years. With a third of homes already reduced, a vendor who comes to market high is very likely to end up reducing, and the agent who won the instruction with that figure will spend the winter having the conversation. Use the sold evidence, show the vendor the reductions on their street, and put the asking price where buyers will view.
Second, the stock you already have needs working. Homes that have been on the market for eight weeks with few viewings need a fresh conversation with the vendor, new photographs or a new price, and the applicants who viewed and did not offer need a call back. That is a list your CRM should be able to produce in seconds.
Third, new instructions will come from people who are thinking rather than acting. With prices flat, plenty of homeowners are curious about what their home is worth without being ready to sell. An instant valuation tool on your website captures them now, while they are curious, so they are already in your CRM when they decide in the spring.
We will update this every month as the new figures come out.
Sources: HM Land Registry and ONS, UK House Price Index for August 2026, published 21 October 2026. Rightmove House Price Index, October 2026, published 19 October 2026. Bank of England, Monetary Policy Summary, September 2026.