Best chance of finding a buyer over past ten years across all areas of Great Britain

Love or Hate Rightmove
  • Nearly seven in ten homes (68%) across Great Britain have found a buyer in the current market, the highest percentage recorded over the past ten years
  • On average just over half (53%) of properties up for sale successfully found a buyer between 2012 and early 2020, highlighting the strength of the market over the past year
  • Scotland has the highest sales rate in Great Britain at 89%, while London saw the lowest with just under half (48%) of homes being sold
  • The top ten places where people were most likely to successfully sell their home are all in Scotland, with the top three being Falkirk (94%), East Dunbartonshire (94%) and South Lanarkshire (93%)
  • Outside of Scotland the top three are Sheffield (83%), Craven (81%) and Chorley (81%), while the areas with the lowest sales rate are Westminster (22%), Kensington & Chelsea (25%), and Camden (28%)

 

New data revealed today from the UK’s biggest property website Rightmove shows that the likelihood of sellers successfully securing a buyer in the current market is at its highest point at any time over the past ten years.

The analysis of over 13 million listings tracked the journey of a property going up for sale to being marked sold subject to contract. Sales that fell through and went on to secure a buyer again were only counted once.

Across Great Britain, 68% of homes successfully found a buyer between June 2020 and June 2021, a jump from 41% in 2012, and the highest percentage in any year over the past ten years.

Looking between 2012 and early 2020, 53% of homes found a buyer on average, with the other 47% either being withdrawn from sale or staying on the market.

Scotland leads the way with 89% of homes successfully finding a buyer, compared to 48% in London. The next best performing area is Yorkshire & the Humber, with nearly eight in every ten homes, 77%, selling.

Areas at the top of the list are all in Scotland, with 94% of homes in Falkirk & East Dunbartonshire finding a buyer, while the bottom end includes high-end markets of London such as Westminster (22%), Kensington & Chelsea (25%), and Camden (28%).

 

Tim Bannister, Director of Property Data at property website Rightmove, says: “There’s been a much greater chance of a seller finding a buyer over the past year, which really highlights the sheer number of people who have been determined to move. While the long-term average shows that typically around half of properties sell, the increase in 2021 reflects the frenzied buyer activity we’ve seen in the current market, driven by multiple factors such as pent up demand and changing priorities. This efficiency in the market means agents are operating on limited stock, and they need more homes to satisfy all types of buyers. We’ve seen from previous research that Scotland often contains the most likely areas to find a buyer, and London the least, however the broader numbers are reflective of the trend we’ve been seeing all year, which is that buyers have widened their scope, and the popularity of every area in Great Britain is increasing.”

Rightmove

UK Property news updates shared directly from Rightmove PLC - the country's leading property portal.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

69% of homebuyers would compromise on their property

New research from UK Property Development reveals that 69% of recent UK homebuyers would be willing to compromise on the property itself to live in a better location, while 65% say they would pay more for a home if the location was right. The findings, from a survey of 1,016 recent UK homebuyers*, highlight the…
Read More
Breaking News

The UK towns boasting +80% house price growth amid nationwide drop

For the first time since 2023, UK house prices have dropped. However, many areas are bucking the recent news, with strong growth overall in the last 5 and 10 years. The cash house buyers and property experts at Sell House Fast have compiled ‘The Property Prosperity Index’, revealing the best places to buy and sell property…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

London remains destination of choice for international property wealth

The latest research from London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed that London accounts for 43% of all property titles owned by overseas companies across England and Wales, highlighting the capital’s enduring appeal as an international property investment destination. Benham and Reeves analysed the latest Land Registry Overseas Companies Ownership Data to…
Read More
to let sign 2025
Breaking News

First drop in rental supply in three years pushes rents higher

Rental growth set to accelerate to 4–5 per cent by the end of 2026 as higher mortgage rates keep would-be buyers renting for longer, reducing rental supply UK rents are 2.6 per cent higher in the 12 months to July 2026, up from 1.6 per cent in February and are on track to reach 4-5…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 13/9/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Sourced Living Chooses Genifea AI to support its branch network and its clients Sourced Living, the lettings and estate agency network of Sourced Property Group, has chosen Genifea to handle customer enquiries across its branches — in what is also the London-based platform’s first…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Back-to-school buyer bounce outpaces typical September uplift

New real-time analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals that buyer demand received a stronger than usual back-to-school boost during the first week of September Buyer demand increased by 5% during the opening week of the month, significantly higher than the average increase of 0.4% seen over the same period during the last…
Read More