The England and Wales housing market remained subdued in Q3, with Landmark reporting listings around 2% below the prior year and sold-subject-to-contract volumes 11% lower. Yet Zoopla found that 51% of two- and three-bedroom homes are now affordable to average-income households, up from 45% in 2025.
This creates a more nuanced advice environment: affordability is improving in parts of the market, but transaction momentum and buyer confidence remain fragile. Advisers can use data-led tools to segment prospects by local affordability, deposit position and remortgage date, then pair those insights with clear explanation of rate volatility, moving costs and the potential impact of the forthcoming Budget.