RICS Residential Market Survey April 2026

Sales market under pressure as buyer demand stays weak

New buyer enquiries remained firmly negative at -34% in April, although marginally improved from -40% in March, due to continued weakness in market demand.
Agreed sales stayed subdued at -36% (from -35%).
Near-term sales expectations remained weak at -32%, while over a twelve-month horizon, expectations slipped further into negative territory at -6%.

Supply pipeline stagnates as new listings remain subdued

New vendor instructions were broadly flat at -3% in April (from -6%).
New appraisals weakened sharply to -16% (from 0%), indicating a softer pipeline of future listings.
Survey evidence suggests supply remains constrained overall, although weaker sales activity is contributing to a gradual build-up of stock levels in some regions.

House prices face growing downward pressure amid regional divergence

The headline house price balance deteriorated further to -34% in April (from -25%).
Price weakness was most pronounced in London and the South East, while the North West and North of England continued to post marginally positive readings. Scotland and Northern Ireland also continued to report house price growth.
Near-term house price expectations remained negative at -38%.
Twelve-month price expectations softened to +5%, representing the weakest long-term outlook since late 2023.

Rental market remains undersupplied as rents continue to rise

Tenant demand edged higher, with the indicator rising to 14% while new landlord instructions remained negative at -17%.
Near-term rental price expectations remained elevated, with a net balance of +25% of contributors anticipating further rent increases.