A closely watched survey of UK property professionals has revealed that geopolitical uncertainty and interest rate concerns are dragging on buyer sentiment, at least in the short term.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) Residential Market Survey gathers responses from its surveyors and estate agents members from across the UK, asking them whether, for example, activity and prices are rising, falling or staying stable.
The results are expressed as a net balance — the percentage reporting increases minus those reporting decreases. They provide an important early indication of the direction of the market rather than the House Price Indices, which are based on data from the final stages of the sales process.
The latest report shows demand is continuing to soften, with the net balance of new buyer enquiries falling for the second month at -26%, down from -15% in January.
Sales activity also remains subdued
Sales activity also remains subdued. Agreed sales recorded a net balance of -12%, while near-term expectations for transactions softened slightly to -2%, suggesting there is little immediate momentum in the market.
Sentiment improves markedly over the longer term, though. A net balance of +17% of respondents expect sales activity to increase over the next twelve months, showing the majority of property professionals are still anticipating the market’s recovery to continue once current geopolitical ructions stabilise.
For the time being, national house price trends remain relatively steady. The headline price net balance is -12%, which means surveyors are still seeing modest downward pressure, but are expecting any price falls to be very limited.
Significant regional variations
The survey also highlights significant regional variations. London (-40%), the South East (-24%) and East Anglia (-26%) continue to have the strongest downward pressure on house prices. In contrast, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the North West of England are still reporting firmer price trends.
For property investors, this widening regional divide is an increasingly influential factor. Areas with lower entry prices and stronger rental demand — particularly in parts of the North and devolved nations — have continued to show greater resilience than markets in southern England, where affordability constraints are more acute.
The survey’s respondents also highlighted the supply pipeline as an important factor in determining how the market is developing in 2026.
Tim Green FRICS of Green & Co. (Oxford) Ltd told RICS:
“The best early sign of activity in 2026 is the increased number of properties coming to the market.
“The recovery is likely to be led from the first-time buyer range, but despite a few green shoots, Spring has not quite arrived yet.”
Iran conflict may have a negative effect
Another respondent, Ian Perry FRICS of Perry Bishop, said: “Definite green shoots across the board, although Iran conflict may have a negative effect.”
And, according to RICS Head of Market Research & Analytics, Tarrant Parsons, February’s survey has laid bare the renewed volatility in the market.
“While activity indicators at the start of the year suggested a tentative improvement, the deterioration in the geopolitical backdrop has clearly weighed on confidence.”
