Buyer demand fell across almost every English county in the third quarter of 2026, raising fresh concerns about the strength of the housing market ahead of the Autumn Budget.
New research from eXp UK shows demand declined by 1.6 percentage points between July and September. Only five counties recorded an increase.
Demand falls to 39.8%
Across England, 39.8% of homes listed for sale had secured a buyer, according to the analysis. That compares with 41.4% in the previous quarter. Demand was also 3.8 percentage points lower than a year earlier.
The latest decline follows a 1.1-point fall between the first and second quarters. The figures suggest that the slowdown extends beyond uncertainty surrounding the Autumn Budget. Affordability pressures and weaker buyer confidence also appear to be weighing on activity.
Only five counties buck the trend
Warwickshire recorded the sharpest quarterly decline, down 3.6 percentage points. Bristol followed at 3.5 points, with Kent down 2.8 points. Leicestershire saw demand fall by 2.7 points. Berkshire and the West Midlands both recorded declines of 2.5 points.
The Isle of Wight led the handful of areas reporting growth. Demand rose by 2.4 points to 28.4%. The City of London recorded a 2.3-point increase, followed by Rutland at 1.8 points. Oxfordshire and Dorset posted marginal gains of 0.3 and 0.2 points respectively.
The annual picture was even weaker. Only East Riding of Yorkshire and the Isle of Wight recorded increases, both up 0.7 percentage points. Bristol suffered the largest annual decline at 7.7 points. Bedfordshire followed at 7.5 points, Wiltshire at 6.6 points and Nottinghamshire at 6.3 points. Warwickshire recorded a six-point fall.
Northern markets continue to outperform
Despite the wider slowdown, several northern markets continue to attract relatively strong demand. Tyne and Wear topped the national rankings, with 51.5% of homes listed for sale having secured a buyer. Bristol followed at 50.3%, despite recording the largest annual decline. South Yorkshire ranked third at 49.4%, ahead of Greater Manchester at 47.9% and Merseyside at 47.7%.
Cheshire, Staffordshire and Northumberland also featured among the strongest markets. The figures highlight a continuing regional divide, with northern and Midlands locations accounting for most of the highest-demand areas.
Budget uncertainty adds to affordability concerns
Adam Day, head of eXp UK and Europe, said buyers were increasingly cautious. “There’s certainly an element of buyers adopting a wait-and-see approach ahead of the Autumn Budget, but the widespread decline in demand suggests that this isn’t the only factor at play. Affordability remains a challenge for many buyers and, while there is still a healthy level of activity across much of the market, it’s clear that some households need greater confidence before committing to a purchase.”
Day said the Budget offered an opportunity to improve market confidence. “The encouraging news is that the government appears set to make the property market a key focus of the upcoming Budget, and this presents a real opportunity to inject some much-needed momentum into the sector.” He added that measures to improve affordability and support homebuyers could help stimulate transactions.
The eXp UK analysis measures buyer demand by calculating the proportion of properties listed for sale that have already secured an agreed offer.
