Homebuyer demand fall in Q3
The latest sales demand data from eXp UK has revealed that homebuyer demand in England slipped by -1.6% in Q3 2026. The analysis shows that just five counties managed positive growth during the quarter, suggesting that buyers may be holding back, adopting a wait-and-see approach ahead of what promises to be a vital Autumn Budget – the first of Andy Burnham’s premiership.
eXp UK analysed current buyer demand across each county in England based on the number of homes listed for sale to have already seen an offer agreed, before comparing the current market landscape with the previous quarter as well as the same time last year, to see how the appetite for homeownership has shifted.
The latest figures for Q3 2026 show that, across England, overall sales demand stood at 39.8%. This marks a quarterly dip of -1.6% compared to Q2 2026, and an annual drop of -3.8% since the same period last year. It also follows a previous quarterly drop of -1.1% between Q1 and Q2.
Limited quarterly climbs
Only five English counties saw buyer demand increase during the third quarter of 2026. Demand on the Isle of Wight grew by 2.4% to sit at 28.4%, while the City of London (2.3%), Rutland (1.8%), Oxfordshire (0.3%), and Dorset (0.2%) also recorded quarterly bumps.
Meanwhile, the biggest quarterly drops were recorded in Warwickshire (-3.6%), the City of Bristol (-3.5%), Kent (-2.8%), Leicestershire (-2.7%), Berkshire (-2.5%), and West Midlands County (-2.5%).
Annual changes
On an annual basis, just two counties recorded an increase in buyer demand, with both East Riding of Yorkshire and Isle of Wight seeing increases of 0.7% since Q3 2025.
Elsewhere, demand is down, nowhere more so than in the City of Bristol where it’s dropped by -7.7%, followed by Bedfordshire (-7.5%), Wiltshire (-6.6%), Nottinghamshire (-6.3%), and Warwickshire (-6%).
Overall demand
These changes mean that England’s buyer demand hotspot for Q3 2026 is Tyne and Wear, where it stands at 51.5%, meaning over half of all available homes have been snapped up by buyers.
Demand is also strong in Bristol (50.3%), followed by South Yorkshire (49.4%), Greater Manchester (47.9%), Merseyside (47.7%), Cheshire (46.8%), Staffordshire (46.3%), Northumberland (46.1%), Bedfordshire (45.5%), and Essex (44.9%).
This means that South of England accounts for just two of the ten most in-demand homebuyer counties in England, with the rest of the list dominated by places in the North and Midlands.
Head of eXp UK and Europe, Adam Day, commented:
“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.
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.
Any meaningful initiatives designed to stimulate demand, improve affordability and help more people onto or up the property ladder would be warmly welcomed. If the Government can deliver on these fronts, it could provide the catalyst needed to revive buyer confidence and encourage more people to make their move.”
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