News from 11 June 2026
The May 2026 RICS survey describes weak buyer demand and continued pressure on rental supply. Property Industry Eye’s coverage points to a cautious sales market alongside a shortage of available rental homes.
What the survey suggests
The headline message is that the sales market remains soft. RICS survey indicators cited in wider market coverage show new buyer enquiries and agreed sales still in negative territory in May, with house price sentiment also weak.
A slower sales market can also affect owners of rented homes. If demand is thinner, sales may take longer and pricing expectations may need more care. It can also affect how quickly accidental landlords, retiring landlords or heavily leveraged owners can change course if cash flow, regulation or personal circumstances shift.
The rental picture is different. RICS has continued to describe a market where tenant demand and available landlord supply are not comfortably balanced. April’s RICS survey, for example, reported tenant demand rising on a net balance basis while landlord instructions remained negative. The May coverage suggests that rental pressures remain part of the wider market story, even as the sales market looks subdued.
