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.

UK Property Sales Drop 8.9% in Early June, London and NI Hit Hardest

Residential property sales activity in the UK slowed sharply at the start of June 2026, with the number of homes sold subject to contract falling by 8.9% compared to the same week in 2025. The figures, covering the week ending 7 June 2026, show that the market has lost momentum after a stronger start to the year, with London and Northern Ireland experiencing the largest declines in agreed sales.

The latest market snapshot tracks trends in buyer demand, sales agreed, and overall activity across the residential property sector. In week 22 of 2026, 25,600 homes were sold subject to contract, compared to 22,100 the previous week, which included a bank holiday. The 10-year average for this week is 23,500 sales, though most week 22 periods have included bank holidays.

Regionally, Northern Ireland saw sales agreed drop from 638 in 2025 to 327 in 2026, a decrease of 48.75%. Outer London sales fell from 1,214 to 990 (down 18.45%), and Inner London from 1,494 to 1,298 (down 13.12%). Other regions also saw declines, with the South West, North East, Wales, West Midlands, East Midlands, South East, North West, East of England, Yorkshire & Humber, and Scotland all reporting lower sales agreed compared to the same week last year. Yorkshire & Humber and Scotland were comparatively steady, with smaller decreases.

Despite the weekly drop, year-to-date figures show 546,000 UK homes sold subject to contract in 2026, which is 5.8% lower than the same period in 2025. However, this is still 2.1% higher than 2024, 12.4% higher than 2023, and 9.6% above the pre-Covid 2017–19 average.

For letting agents and inventory clerks, these trends indicate a more selective market, with fewer homes selling but those that do achieving strong values. The average price per square foot rose from £343.77 in April 2026 to £349.64 in May 2026, an increase of 1.7% in the last month.