The professional body
for the property sector

The housing market remained active during June, but buyers and renters continued to show caution. Buyer registrations dipped, while sales agreed remained broadly stable. Demand for rental properties continues to outstrip supply, with nine applicants per available property.

The number of registered rental properties and landlords is declining, while a small group of larger landlords controls a growing share of the market, according to data from Rent Smart Wales. The national figures also mask sharp differences between Cardiff, Swansea, and the rest of Wales.

The proportion of owner-occupiers has changed little over the past decade and remains below its 2003 peak, while high prices, large deposits, and a weak development pipeline continue to restrict access for first-time buyers and suppress mobility for those already on the property ladder. New planning rules may help, but government and industry evidence supports Propertymark’s position that wider reform is needed across housebuilding and the buying and selling process to restore adequate supply and revitalise the market.