Half of Homes in Great Britain Taking Longer to Sell as Mortgage Volatility Bites

Ons siening

While this data is firmly UK-focused, South African property professionals and investors with exposure to rand-hedge assets or offshore property should take note of the broader dynamic at play: when mortgage rate uncertainty spikes, buyer confidence stalls — even in markets with underlying demand. This is a pattern SA buyers and sellers know well from the post-COVID rate cycle, where the prime lending rate climbed sharply and transaction volumes softened despite continued listing activity. For SA landlords and buy-to-let investors, the UK slowdown is a useful reminder that yield calculations shift quickly when financing costs move. Locally, the SARB's rate trajectory remains a key watch point — any upward surprise could produce a similar 'wait-and-see' buyer behaviour in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban markets. For agents, the Zoopla finding that national averages can mask sharp local divergence is directly applicable here: Sandton and the Atlantic Seaboard may clear stock in weeks while secondary markets sit for months. Pricing strategy and realistic seller expectations matter more than ever in a rate-sensitive environment.