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

Major UK Housebuilders Face £4.5bn Class Action Over New-Build Prices

A £4.5 billion class action is being brought against some of the UK’s largest housebuilders over claims that homebuyers paid inflated prices for new-build properties due to alleged anti-competitive behaviour. The claim is being led by Mark McLaren and is set to be filed with the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).

The action targets Barratt, Redrow, Bellway, The Berkeley Group, Bloor Homes, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, and Vistry Group. According to The Negotiator, the claim is being brought on behalf of more than 700,000 people who bought new-build homes in Great Britain between October 2015 and 24 June 2026.

Lawyers for the claimant, Geradin Partners and Hausfeld, estimate that affected homeowners could receive between £3,100 and £6,200 each if the action is successful. The case follows an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into suspected information sharing between major housebuilders. Last year, the CMA accepted legally binding commitments from the companies to stop exchanging commercially sensitive information and secured a £100 million payment towards affordable housing programmes. The CMA did not rule on whether competition law had been breached.

The companies involved have been approached for comment. A spokesperson for The Berkeley Group stated that they are aware of the claim but declined to comment further due to the nature of the proceedings.

This case is of particular interest to UK letting agents and inventory clerks, as it concerns the pricing of new-build homes and the practices of major developers in the property market.