The numbers estate agents won’t lead with
Rightmove’s September 2026 data (reported on 21 September) contains a good-news headline: asking prices rose 0.7% in the month, the first monthly rise since May, to an average of £367,440. The detail tells a different story. Rightmove itself describes it as “a modest recovery rather than a major turning point”.
Underneath that headline: homes for sale are at a 12-year high, buyer enquiries are down 9% on last year, agreed sales are down 9%, and asking prices are still down 0.8% year on year and 2.3% since the start of summer. Rightmove’s figures for August put average stock at 65 homes per agent, including those under offer.
In plain English: more sellers, fewer buyers, and a market where buyers have the upper hand.
What a crowded market does to your sale
When stock is high, buyers can afford to wait, compare and negotiate. Three things tend to follow.
Your home gets lost. On a portal with thousands of near-identical listings, yours needs to stand out in the first fortnight. After that, it joins the pile.
Reductions become the norm. Rightmove reports that 74% of homes sold this year were priced correctly from the start and never needed a reduction. The rest are the ones that chased the market down, often after weeks of lost momentum.
Mortgage costs squeeze your buyer. Rightmove reports the average two-year fixed rate rising from 5.09% to 5.29%, which it says adds about £180 a month to a typical new mortgage. A buyer whose budget moves can walk away, or come back with a lower offer.
Who gets hurt most
Needing to sell quickly changes the maths completely. If you are facing a mortgage deadline, a divorce settlement, a probate sale, an unwanted tenancy, a short lease or a property that lenders find difficult, you cannot afford to be in the group that waits months and then reduces.
Waiting has a price. Mortgage payments, insurance, council tax and utilities all continue while a house sits unsold. And an agent whose “valuation” flatters you to win your instruction can set the wrong starting price before you have even had a viewing.
Your realistic options, side by side
1. List with an estate agent at a realistic price
Can work well if you are not on a deadline and the property is straightforward. Weigh up the fees, the contract length and the risk of a failed sale, and ask for the tie-in period in writing.
2. Auction
Gives a fixed date, but fees, reserve risk and conditions of sale apply, and the result is not guaranteed. It is worth comparing carefully.
3. Sell to a cash buyer
A genuine cash buyer does not rely on a mortgage valuation or a chain, so the sale is not exposed to rate moves, down-valuations or a buyer’s circumstances changing. The honest trade-off is that cash offers are typically below full market value in return for speed and certainty. Weigh that against the cost of months of waiting.
How to judge a cash offer
Whichever route you choose, protect yourself. Ask whether the buyer can show proof of funds, who pays the legal fees, whether the offer is in writing, and whether there are any fees for withdrawing. Be wary of anyone who pressures you to sign quickly or asks for money upfront. A good buyer will give you time to take independent legal advice.
Three things to do this week
First, work out your real deadline: the date your mortgage deal ends, the day a court hearing is listed, or the point at which holding costs become unaffordable. Second, get an honest price. Ask any agent to show you the sold prices of comparable homes, not just the ones currently listed, because asking prices are not what buyers actually pay. Third, get at least one firm cash offer in writing, even if you intend to try the open market first. It gives you a fallback figure, and it tells you exactly how much waiting is worth to you.
A simple test
Ask yourself: if this sale takes seven months, what does that cost me? Add up the monthly outgoings, the interest, the stress and the opportunity cost. Then compare that figure with the gap between a realistic open-market price and a cash offer. For many people who need out, the answer is clearer than they expected.
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