Welcome to our weekly property update. This week, we’re taking a closer look at the latest figures to see if the market is showing signs of a spring surge.
New Listings: A Blooming Good Sign
The number of new properties coming to market is a key indicator of overall activity. This week, we’ve seen 39,800 new listings, up from 37,900 last week. That’s a healthy 8% higher than Week 8 of 2024 and a significant 10% higher compared to the levels of 2017, 2018, and 2019. This increase suggests a growing confidence among sellers and a wider range of options for buyers.
Price Reductions: Are Sellers Adjusting Expectations?
While new listings are on the rise, we’re also observing a continued trend of price reductions. This week, 23,600 properties have had their prices reduced. This means that approximately 1 in 8 residential sales stock properties per month are seeing price adjustments, which is around 12%. For comparison, the average in 2024 was 12.1%, and the long-term 5-year average is 10.6%. These reductions could indicate that sellers are aligning their expectations with market realities.
Sales: Keeping Up Momentum
Despite some price adjustments, the sales figures remain robust. 26,700 UK homes were sold STC this week, slightly down from 27,600 last week. However, the bigger picture shows a positive trend, with sales 16% higher compared to 2024 and 25% higher than the pre-pandemic levels of 2017, 2018, and 2019. This sustained sales performance points to ongoing buyer demand in the market.
Sale Fall-Throughs: A Market Reality
Sale fall-throughs are an inevitable part of the property transaction process. There were 6,506 fall-throughs this week, occurring within a residential sale pipeline of 451,074 homes sold STC. This week, fall-throughs represent 24.3% of gross sales, slightly above last week’s 22.3% and just above the 7-year average of 24.2%, but still significantly below the 40%+ levels seen after the Truss Budget in Autumn 2022. For February 2025 as a whole, 5.48% of sales in UK agents’ pipelines fell through.
Net Sales: The True Indicator
To gauge the real sales activity, we look at net sales (gross sales minus fall-throughs). This week, net sales were 20,200, compared to the 2025 weekly average of 19,600. The 2025 figure is 13% higher than 2024 and 19% higher than the figures for 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Wider Market Trends
As of March 1st, 2025, there were 675,000 properties on the market. This compares to 623,000 at the end of January 2024 and 548,000 at the end of January 2023.
The number of sales agreed in Estate Agents’ Sales Pipelines (i.e., sold STC but not yet completed) as of March 1st, 2025, was 451,000. This is significantly higher than the 376,000 at the end of January 2024 and the 349,000 at the end of January 2023.
UK House Prices: A Predictive Look
Using the £/sq.ft metric, which has historically predicted Land Registry figures with 92% accuracy, February’s final figure was £340/sq.ft. This is slightly lower than January ’25 (£342/sq.ft) but 1.64% higher than February ’24 (£335/sq.ft). This suggests a slight month-on-month dip but continued year-on-year growth in UK house prices.
Conclusion
The UK property market is presenting a mixed bag of signals. We’re seeing increased listings and overall sales growth, but also a continued prevalence of price reductions and slightly elevated fall-through rates.
At Frank Marketing Agency, we understand that navigating these trends requires expertise and insight. We’re here to help our clients in the property sector make informed decisions and achieve their marketing goals. Contact us today to discuss how we can support your business in this dynamic market.
