Buyer demand jumped 5% in the first week of September as home movers returned from their summer break, according to new Rightmove data.
The increase was significantly stronger than the typical start-of-September bounce, with demand rising by an average of just 0.4% over the same period during the previous five years.
However, activity remains below 2025 levels following a difficult year for the housing market, with economic and geopolitical uncertainty among the factors weighing on buyer confidence.
The latest increase has narrowed that gap, with buyer demand improving from 14% below last year’s level at the end of August to 9% below during the first week of September.
LONDON LEADS
Rightmove recorded an increase in buyer activity across every region of Great Britain during the opening week of the month.
London saw the strongest rebound, with demand up 9%, followed by the South West at 8%.
The West Midlands and North East both recorded increases of 7%, while demand rose 6% in the East Midlands and South East.
The East of England matched the national increase of 5%, followed by the North West at 4%, Wales at 3% and Scotland at 1%.
Rightmove’s figures are based on millions of interactions across its property platform and track changes in home-hunter activity in real time.
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.”
AUTUMN MOMENTUM
Babcock says the improvement is encouraging following a summer disrupted by holidays and periods of exceptionally hot weather, but cautions against reading too much into one week’s figures.
She adds: “While buyer demand remains below last year’s level, this year’s back-to-school bounce is a welcome sign.
“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.”
Hollie Whittaker, Founder of Block & Brick, says her agency is also seeing signs of buyers returning to the market, including an increase in viewing requests and online property views.
She adds: “After a quieter summer period, it’s encouraging to see momentum beginning to build again, and we expect buyer activity to continue strengthening as we move further into September.”
