UK house prices growing by 2.5% according to Halifax
Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark:
“This slight dip in house prices will likely have been influenced as a direct consequence to the current state of the global economy. There will always be a need for people to move house regardless of international trading relations; however, many aspiring or current homeowners will no doubt be discouraged until they feel confident in their long-term affordability.
“It would be very welcome news for consumers if lenders do feel confident enough to offer additional competitive mortgage products across the summer months, but much will depend on the rate of inflation across the coming months.”
Tom Brown, Managing Director, Real Estate at Ingenious:
“Today’s data underscores the continued resilience and appeal of the UK property sector. Despite elevated inflation and stubborn borrowing costs, we welcome the BoE’s recent rate cut as a hopeful first step in a much-needed easing cycle.
“There’s clearly a significant and notable shortage of housing inventory across various price brackets and locations. Consequently, any decline in homeowner sales is likely counterbalanced by increased demand from renters and investors. This is a trend that is not going away. However, it’s crucial to recognise that the situation isn’t consistent nationwide or across different property pricing brackets. It’s helpful to delve into subsectors and regional dynamics when assessing opportunities, as a broad market view can be misleading. In the real estate sector, we’re seeing significant investment capital for assets for long-term rental. On account of their scale and buying power, these typically institutional investors face fewer disruptions than owner occupiers or small-scale Buy-to-let investors.
“At Ingenious, we continue to work closely with borrowers and investors, adapting to the dynamic market landscape and broader economic shifts, including those related to the climate crisis and changing lifestyles. We are expanding the reach of our development lending product to provide extended stabilisation terms for specialised developers in the rental sector. Furthermore, we’re introducing special lending terms for developers focused on reducing embedded carbon in their construction practices.”