UK Property Market: Week 2 Insights and Trends
We are only two weeks into 2026, and while it’s too early for bold predictions, it’s not too early to observe the direction of the market. Year-on-year comparisons require careful handling, especially considering the exceptional year that was 2025, driven by the spring Stamp Duty deadline, which artificially inflated sales activity in the early months.
As a result, 2026 is running slightly behind the same point in 2025, which is exactly what you would expect when that stimulus is removed. However, this is only part of the story. When comparing Week 2 of 2026 to more normal years, the picture changes significantly. Sales agreed are well ahead of Week 2 in 2024, stronger than 2023, and materially above pre-Covid levels.
Robust Buyer Demand and Market Activity
In other words, buyer demand this early in the year is not weak, it’s robust. Last week alone, 21,191 homes went Sold STC, comfortably above the ten-year Week 2 average. This tells us that buyers are active, decisive, and engaging with the market, even without incentives. Supply remains healthy, with new listings elevated, giving buyers choice.
Yet, prices are still edging upwards, with house prices up 0.6%, a sign of a balanced market rather than an overheated one. One number sellers should not ignore is the 60.1% completion rate. Just over six in ten homes that left agents’ books in December actually exchanged and completed. The remainder were withdrawn unsold.
Market Realism and Momentum
This gap is rarely about demand; it’s usually about pricing realism, motivation, and how momentum is managed after an offer is agreed. So, yes, it’s early doors, and 2026 is slightly behind the artificially boosted start to 2025, yet well ahead of 2024 and pre-Covid levels. But strip that out, and sales are firing well ahead of normal years, powered by genuine buyer confidence rather than tax deadlines.
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