Homes are taking longer to find buyers in almost half of Great Britain’s local property markets despite the national average remaining unchanged at 42 days, latest research from Zoopla reveals.
Its analysis found that selling times increased across 180 of the 363 local authorities examined during the year to July 2026.
A further 145 markets recorded faster sales, highlighting a widening gap between local areas as higher mortgage rates and affordability pressures affect demand differently across the country.
Eight local authorities now have an average selling time of at least 60 days.
MELTON IS SLOWEST MARKET
Melton in the East Midlands is Great Britain’s slowest-moving market, with homes taking an average of 76 days to secure a buyer — 21 days longer than a year ago.
Westminster and Teignbridge follow at 63 days, ahead of Torridge at 61 days. Tower Hamlets, the Isle of Wight, Thanet and North Devon each average 60 days.
Southern England accounts for nine of the 10 slowest markets, with Westminster affected by high prices and buying costs.
However, significant variations exist within regions. North West Leicestershire averages 32 days, cutting eight days from last year, despite being less than an hour from Melton.
SCOTLAND DOMINATES FASTEST MARKETS
All 10 of Great Britain’s fastest-selling local authorities are in Scotland.
Falkirk leads at just 11 days, followed by Renfrewshire and North Lanarkshire at 13 days. South Lanarkshire, East Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire each average 14 days.
Zoopla says Scotland’s different sales process, where homes are commonly marketed as “offers over” and buyers receive a valuation and home report earlier, contributes to greater speed and certainty.
Carlisle and Barnsley are England’s fastest markets at 23 days, while Neath Port Talbot leads Wales at 29 days.
PRICE RIGHT FROM DAY ONE
Richard Donnell (main picture, inset), Executive Director at Zoopla, says: “While the national time to sell has barely moved, that stability is masking a real divide opening up between local markets.
“In areas like Melton in Leicestershire, homes are taking noticeably longer to sell than a year ago, while markets just a short drive away are speeding up.
“If you’re selling in a slower market, don’t take a wait-and-see approach – talk to a local agent who knows what’s happening street by street, and make sure your home is priced right from day one. That’s still the biggest factor within a seller’s control, whatever the local market is doing.”
