Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Mortgage Strategy. Read the original article for full details.
Glasgow Easiest, Aberdeen Hardest for Property Sales, Study Finds
A new study has identified Glasgow as the easiest and Aberdeen as the hardest city in the UK to sell property, based on the proportion of homes remaining unsold after 36 days on the market. The research, conducted by Property Buyers Today, analysed Rightmove data from the 80 largest UK cities.
Aberdeen tops the list of hardest cities to sell property, with 61.3% of its 488 listed properties remaining on the market for over 36 days. This figure suggests a demand issue in the city, rather than an oversupply. Salford follows closely, with 60.4% of its 1,890 properties unsold after 36 days. Peterborough ranks third, with 58.8% of 1,820 listings still available after the same period. London is fourth, with 58.6% of its 61,050 properties unsold after 36 days, and Preston rounds out the top five at 57.7% of 711 listings.
In contrast, Glasgow is the fastest-moving market, with only 31.3% of properties unsold after 36 days. The city’s property market is described as competitive, supported by affordability and developments such as the Clyde Gateway Innovation District. Edinburgh is next, with 40.6% of properties still listed after 36 days. Basingstoke follows at 41%, Swindon at 42%, and Bristol at 42.6%.
The study used Zoopla’s figure of 36 days as the average time properties spend on the market in England and Wales. The findings highlight the importance of local supply and demand dynamics over city size or reputation in determining how quickly properties sell.
For letting agents and inventory clerks, these results underline the need to tailor strategies to local market conditions, particularly in cities where properties are taking longer to sell. Understanding these trends can help agents advise landlords and vendors on pricing and marketing, and assist inventory clerks in planning workloads.
Source: Mortgage Strategy