Agreed Sales Fall for Fourth Month Running, TwentyCi Data Shows

Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Mortgage Solutions. Read the original article for full details.

Agreed Sales Fall for Fourth Month Running, TwentyCi Data Shows

Industry data from TwentyCi suggests housing market activity may weaken in the fourth quarter, with agreed sales down for four months running. Sales were 8% lower year-on-year in both May and June, followed by a 5% fall in July and a 6% decline in August, leaving volumes 5.4% lower than last year over the first eight months of 2026.

A Mixed Picture

The sales agreed data contrasts with completed transaction figures from HMRC, which showed a 5% annual rise in residential transactions in July. However, transactions remain 2.5% lower for the year to date compared with 2025.

TwentyCi said the sales agreed figures reflect a more timely picture of buyer demand and point to a weaker pipeline of transactions. The firm expects this to dampen completions in the final quarter, citing muted buyer demand and higher swap rates, which are putting pressure on mortgage affordability. Several lenders have raised mortgage pricing in recent weeks in response to rising swap rates.

TwentyCi now predicts 1.16 million residential transactions for the year, 3.9% lower than the 1.21 million completions in 2025, though still 5.6% higher than in 2024.

Colin Bradshaw, chief executive of TwentyCi, described the market as showing a "mixed picture", noting that headline transaction figures point to resilience while the more timely sales agreed data tells a different story. He said the monthly decline in buyer demand since May would "inevitably feed through into completed transactions with a lag", and warned that if fixed mortgage pricing continues to move upwards, it could put further pressure on affordability and make buyers more cautious.

What It Means for Letting Agents and Inventory Clerks

While the sales pipeline weakens, the supply of homes coming to market has grown, with a 2.1% annual rise in newly listed properties — the highest level in the last decade. TwentyCi said the mix of rising supply and falling demand is creating a "more buyer-friendly market".

The picture also varies by property type: demand for flats fell 13.2% year-on-year, the largest decline of any property type.

For letting agents and inventory clerks, rising stock levels and softer sales demand may shape both sales and rental market activity in the months ahead.