September saw year-on-year drop in transaction numbers
November 6, 2026 by Brendan O'Neill
Surveys and Statistics
September saw a fall in the number of residential property transactions, in comparison to the same month in 2025.
This is according to figures that have been published by HMRC. They show an annual drop of 4% in the number of residential transactions throughout September. The seasonally adjusted total for the month was 94,800, whereas without seasonal adjustment it was 97,940. This data is provisional rather than final, but is likely to prove broadly accurate.
When looked at on a month-to-month basis, the seasonally adjusted transaction total for September was slightly below that of August. The difference is negligible though. Minus the seasonal adjustment, the September total improved on that of August by 1%.
What can be surmised from the figures is that the UK housing market slowdown had begun even before the autumn Budget. Many of those within the industry are stating this could continue throughout the remainder of 2026. This is due to a combination of lower confidence among potential buyers and higher mortgage rates.
One of those who spoke about the figures was Zoopla executive director Richard Donnell. He pointed out that those with mortgages were being affected by higher rates too, because it left them with less money to spend.
Ryan McGrath from specialist lender Pepper Money told Mortgage Soup:
“For a lot of homeowners, moving simply won’t add up at today’s rates, especially for those still on a fix agreed when borrowing was cheaper.”
In this situation, it is important for those with the CeMAP mortgage advisor qualification to be adaptable to other income streams.
Written by
Brendan O'Neill
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