Stronger-than-usual back to school bounce in sales market
Rightmove says buyer demand received a stronger than usual back-to-school boost during the first week of September.
Buyer demand increased by 5% during the opening week of September, significantly outpacing the average increase of 0.4% seen over the same period during the last five years.
It says the stronger than normal uplift indicates a sharper return to the market than is typically seen at the start of September, as home-movers return from the summer holiday period.
While overall buyer demand remains below last year’s level, the stronger than usual start to September has helped narrow the gap.
Buyer demand moved from 14% below last year’s level at the end of August to 9% below for the first week of September.
The September bounce was seen across every region of Great Britain.
London recorded the strongest increase in buyer demand during the first week of the month (+9%), followed by the South West (+8%).
The West Midlands and North East both recorded increases of around 7%, while the East Midlands and South East each saw a 6% uplift.
Rightmove’s real-time data, generated from millions of interactions, highlights how seasonal events and consumer behaviour influence home-moving activity.
Regional view of buyer demand % uplift
| Region | Buyer demand % uplift |
| London | +9% |
| South West | +8% |
| West Midlands | +7% |
| North East | +7% |
| East Midlands | +6% |
| South East | +6% |
| UK | +5% |
| East of England | +5% |
| North West | +4% |
| Wales | +3% |
| Scotland | +1% |
Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert, says:
“The start of September is often a busy time for the housing market as families return from summer breaks and refocus on their moving plans. This year we’ve seen buyer demand rise by 5% during the first week of September, compared with an average increase of just 0.4% over the same period during the last five years.
“While buyer demand remains below last year’s level, this year’s back-to-school bounce is a welcome sign after a summer that brought the usual holiday distractions alongside several spells of exceptionally hot weather. It’s encouraging to see buyers getting on with their moving plans and returning to the market as we head into the autumn season. However, it is still early in the month, we will be keeping an eye on this over the coming weeks.”
Kindly shared by EstateAgentTODAY image courtesy of Adobe
