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.

Rightmove Reports Buyer Demand Recovery After May Dip

Buyer demand for UK property has rebounded after a temporary decline in May, according to Rightmove. The drop was attributed to an unprecedented heatwave coinciding with the half term holiday, which led to fewer viewings being booked.

Rightmove revealed that from 22 May, buyer demand fell by 8% over the following seven days, as potential buyers delayed viewings due to the weather. However, demand began to rise again at the start of June as temperatures eased, with more buyers booking viewings.

By 6 June, buyer demand had surpassed pre-heatwave levels, and normal seasonal trends resumed. Despite this recovery, the number of potential buyers sending enquiries to agents remains lower than at the same time last year, but is described as stable and consistent with trends seen so far in 2026.

Rightmove noted that short-term external events such as heatwaves or school holidays can temporarily impact home-moving activity, but demand tends to recover quickly. The platform also highlighted that similar patterns are observed in their real-time data during other major events or seasonal shifts.

For letting agents and inventory clerks, these fluctuations in buyer activity may influence the timing of property viewings and the scheduling of inventories, particularly during periods of unusual weather or school holidays.