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

Estate Agents Paid on Only Half of Listings, New Data Shows

New figures from June 2026 reveal that only about half of homes leaving estate agents’ books resulted in a completed sale. The remainder were withdrawn or left unsold, highlighting ongoing challenges in the UK property market.

According to Property Industry Eye, 66,200 property exchanges were recorded in June 2026, while 64,000 properties were withdrawn from the market during the same period. This means that only 50.9% of homes that left agents’ books exchanged and completed, with 49.1% withdrawn or unsold.

The report notes that sales activity remains steady and is performing better than in 2023, but is still below the levels seen in 2024 and 2025 for this time of year. The market is described as functioning, with buyers still active and sales being agreed, but there is a significant gap between a functioning market and a forgiving one.

A key issue identified is the continued overvaluing of homes by agents, which is attributed to concerns about losing instructions. Many properties are coming to market at prices based on seller aspirations rather than what buyers are willing to pay. The data suggests that for the average home seller, listing a property has become a 50/50 chance of achieving a sale.

The report also provides further market statistics for week 27 of 2026, ending 12th July:

• 34,700 new listings were recorded, compared to a weekly average of 37,100 for 2026.
• Year to date, there have been 1,001,904 new listings, nearly identical to 2025 and 4.5% ahead of 2024.
• 23,500 homes were sold subject to contract in week 27, with a year-to-date total of 667,000 UK homes sold subject to contract.
• Net residential sales for the year to date stand at 519,000, slightly ahead of 2024 and 12.5% higher than 2023.

For letting agents and inventory clerks, these figures underline the importance of accurate pricing and market awareness, as overvaluing can lead to increased withdrawals and fewer completed sales.