RealEstateUK

Longer Days, Faster Sales

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The summer solstice, the longest day of the year and an event celebrated around the world, falls in the Northern Hemisphere on Sunday 21 June 2026 at 9:24am BST. The difference in daylight across the UK is significant. London will enjoy around 16 hours and 38 minutes of daylight, nearly nine hours more than during the shortest days of December. Further north, Edinburgh will benefit from 17 hours and 37 minutes of daylight, almost an hour more than the capital.

This increase in daylight has coincided with growing momentum in the property market. The warmer months traditionally bring higher levels of buyer activity, and 2026 has been no exception. One of the clearest signs of this trend is the speed at which properties are selling. The average time to sell fell to 60 days in May, down from 81 days in January, marking the fourth consecutive monthly decline.

Overall, the data suggests that the market is gaining momentum as summer approaches. Faster sales and shorter transaction times are creating favourable conditions for sellers while reflecting increasing confidence among buyers.

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Mortgage Market Showing Real Resilience

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The UK mortgage market is demonstrating notable resilience in the face of higher borrowing costs and a more uncertain global economic backdrop. The latest data shows that mortgage approvals, one of the clearest forward indicators of housing demand, reached 63,531 in March. This represents a 1.3% increase on February’s total and marks the highest monthly figure recorded since November 2025, signalling a quiet but meaningful strengthening of buyer activity as the spring market progresses.

What is particularly striking about this performance is the wider context in which it has been achieved. Mortgage rates have been pushed higher by global uncertainty, yet the level of approvals sits just 0.8% below where it stood a year ago. The fact that this gap remains so narrow, despite the headwinds of more expensive borrowing, points to underlying resilience in a market often assumed to react sharply to changes in the interest rate environment.

The picture for new buyer enquiries reinforces this view, with enquiries down only 2% compared with the same period last year. This modest decline suggests that buyers remain engaged rather than in retreat, even if the prevailing mood remains somewhat cautious. Property professionals appear to share this assessment. In a recent poll, 42% reported that buyer confidence is broadly in line with where it stood three months ago, reflecting a sense of stability rather than either exuberance or decline.

Taken together, these figures paint a picture of a mortgage market that is absorbing pressure rather than buckling under it. Approvals are rising, year-on-year comparisons remain largely stable, and confidence is holding its ground as the sector moves further into 2026.

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Rental Market Finding Balance

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As the UK rental market approaches one of its most significant regulatory changes in decades with the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force on 1 May, the latest data shows a sector adjusting with notable calm. Instead of volatility, the dominant theme is steady stability. Rental growth remains consistent, supply is gradually improving, and the balance between landlords and tenants is shifting in a more constructive way.

On the demand side, average rents across the UK rose in March, marking the first monthly increase since October 2025. This suggests that the recent softening in rental movements may have reached its turning point for now. Annually, rental growth stands at 1.8 percent, reflecting continued upward pressure across most regions. Nearly every part of the UK has seen rents rise compared with a year ago, with the East of England being the only area to record a slight decline.

The supply outlook offers some of the most encouraging signs. The number of homes available to rent is now 3 percent higher than a year ago and has reached its highest level for this time of year since 2021. This increase gives tenants more choice than they have had in recent years. Although demand has cooled compared with last year’s unusually high levels, it remains well above pre pandemic norms, indicating that the rental market continues to show underlying strength even as activity steadies.

Overall, the data points to a market that is becoming more balanced. Supply is improving, rental growth is settling at a more sustainable pace, and demand remains resilient. As the Renters’ Rights Act introduces major changes to tenancy law, the sector appears to be entering this new phase from a position of relative stability, which should support both landlords and tenants as they adapt to the changes ahead.

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