Across Great Britain, new-build homes accounted for 6.3% of all properties listed for sale during the first quarter of 2026. While this represents only a modest change in overall market share, buyer demand has softened, with just 16.4% of available new-build properties securing a buyer and reaching sold subject to contract (SSTC) status during the period.
The findings suggest that while demand remains present, today's buyers are placing greater emphasis on value, quality, and confidence before committing to a purchase.
Several locations bucked the wider trend. Newcastle recorded the strongest quarterly growth in new-build availability, followed by Cardiff, Bournemouth, and Liverpool. Meanwhile, Edinburgh, Newport, and Aberdeen experienced the largest reductions in stock levels.
On an annual basis, Portsmouth, Leicester, and Liverpool saw the most notable increases in new-build availability, while Aberdeen, Nottingham, and Glasgow recorded the largest year-on-year declines.
Liverpool continued to lead the market in terms of new-build concentration, with new-build homes accounting for 10.5% of all listings. Aberdeen followed at 9.2%, ahead of Edinburgh, Manchester, and London.
While these figures demonstrate that developers continue to bring stock to market, they also highlight the increasingly localised nature of housing market performance across Britain.
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Nationally, demand fell by 0.4% compared to the previous quarter and was down 2.0% year-on-year.
However, the headline figures only tell part of the story.
Several cities recorded strong improvements in buyer activity. Portsmouth led the way, posting quarterly demand growth of 13.6%, followed by Sheffield and Edinburgh. Positive momentum was also recorded in Plymouth, Newcastle, Bristol, Swansea, and Aberdeen.
Conversely, Southampton, Glasgow, and Newport experienced the largest quarterly declines in buyer demand.
The annual picture was equally varied. Portsmouth saw demand rise by 26.5% compared with Q1 2025, while Sheffield, Nottingham, and Plymouth also recorded significant improvements. Newport, Aberdeen, and Leicester experienced the largest annual falls.
These regional variations demonstrate that demand has not disappeared from the market. Instead, buyers are becoming increasingly selective, with purchasing decisions influenced by local market conditions, pricing strategies, and perceived value.
In a more challenging economic environment, prospective purchasers are scrutinising developments more closely before committing. Factors such as build quality, transparency, and reassurance throughout the buying journey are becoming increasingly important.
Where buyers feel confident that a property meets their expectations and represents good value, transactions continue to take place. Where uncertainty exists, purchasing decisions are taking longer, or not happening at all.
This shift places greater emphasis on the processes and standards that support consumer confidence throughout the development and sales cycle.
Developers and agents operating in areas where demand remains strong have an opportunity to build on existing momentum. In slower markets, however, attracting buyers may require greater focus on demonstrating value, quality assurance, and reducing perceived risk.
As buyers become more discerning, trust and transparency will play an increasingly important role in supporting sales performance.
For organisations involved in delivering new-build homes, robust inspection and reporting processes can help provide the reassurance buyers need to move forward with confidence, particularly in a market where purchasing decisions are subject to greater scrutiny than in previous years.
New-build stock levels were measured as a proportion of all homes listed for sale. Demand was calculated as the percentage of available new-build properties that were marked as sold subject to contract (SSTC) during the period.
Data was sourced from Rightmove and collected on 19 March 2026.
The data referenced in this article is based on research conducted by Property Inspect using publicly available property market data, including information sourced from Rightmove.
If you require further information regarding the methodology, underlying data tables, or original sources referenced within this article, please contact marketing@propertyinspect.com
