The May heatwave may have sent temperatures soaring but it temporarily cooled activity in the housing market, latest analysis from Rightmove reveals.
Data from the property portal shows that buyer demand fell by 8% during the week beginning 22 May, as unusually warm weather coincided with the school half-term holiday, prompting many would-be buyers to put property searches and viewings on hold.
However, the slowdown proved short-lived. As temperatures returned to more typical levels at the start of June, buyer activity quickly recovered.
Rightmove found that demand began rising again from 1 June and had surpassed pre-heatwave levels by 6 June, suggesting underlying appetite among buyers remains resilient.
REAL TIME ACTIVITY
The findings offer a rare insight into how external events can influence housing market activity in real time. Rightmove’s platform processes millions of interactions each day, allowing it to track behavioural changes as they happen.
Despite the recovery, overall buyer enquiries remain below the levels seen at the same point last year. However, Rightmove said activity remains broadly consistent with wider market trends seen throughout 2026.
The data highlights the extent to which short-term events can influence market momentum, even when underlying demand remains intact.
TEMPORARY IMPACT
Colleen Babcock (main picture, inset), Property Expert at Rightmove, says: “It’s not unusual for short-term external events like a heatwave or school holidays to have a temporary impact on home-moving activity, and this time we had both at the same time, so it isn’t surprising that some buyers paused their searches or delayed viewings for a few days.
“What’s more telling is how quickly demand tends to bounce back, as we’re now seeing, with underlying market activity remaining consistent with what we’ve seen in 2026 so far.
“We regularly see patterns like this in our real-time data, whether it’s seasonal shifts, major events like the World Cup coming up, or even cultural moments influencing behaviour, which is a reminder as to the scale of the Rightmove platform.”
The figures suggest that while market conditions remain subdued compared with last year, buyers continue to engage when opportunities arise, with short-term disruptions having little lasting impact on overall demand.
TRICKY COMMITMENT
Jeremy Leaf, north London estate agent and a former RICS Residential Chairman, says: “On the ground and confirmed in this data, we noticed a rebound in enquiries at the end of May/beginning of June – more than we might have otherwise expected for the time of year.
“However, we put that improvement more down to buyers coming to terms with the fallout and length of the Iran war than not feeling as much heat from the sun.
“Demand may have increased but generating commitment to purchase is proving just as tricky as it has been since hostilities began, bearing in mind the amount of choice and continuing uncertainty over the direction of travel for mortgage rates and inflation.”
RESILIENT APPETITE
And Mary-Lou Press, NAEA Propertymark President, adds: “External factors such as school holidays, major events and periods of exceptionally warm weather can temporarily affect viewing activity.
“While some buyers may have delayed their property searches during the recent heatwave, it is encouraging to see demand rebound so quickly once normal routines resumed.
“The key takeaway is that underlying buyer appetite remains resilient despite ongoing affordability pressures. Many people are still motivated to move, and the swift recovery in enquiries demonstrates that short-term dips in activity should not be mistaken for a loss of market confidence.”
