Zoopla May 2026: UK prices up 1.5%, demand down 10%

On 28 May 2026, Zoopla published its monthly House Price Index covering the year to May 2026. The headline is a market that is still growing, just slowly, with the gap between asking and achieved prices widening as buyers take longer to commit.

What did Zoopla's May 2026 House Price Index show?

The Zoopla House Price Index is a monthly tracker based on completed sale prices and live market activity. The May 2026 release puts UK annual house price inflation at 1.5%, with the average UK property at £271,500.

Where are UK house prices growing fastest?

Growth is uneven across the country. Northern Ireland and the North West are leading the table; London and the South East are barely moving. The pattern follows the same north-south divergence Zoopla has been tracking since the start of 2025.

What does this mean for sellers right now?

Sellers are working in a market where stock has grown faster than demand. Homes are still selling, but the asking-to-agreed gap has widened and pricing accurately at the first attempt matters more than it did 12 months ago.

• Asking prices have to reflect what buyers are actually willing to pay in May 2026, not what your street fetched in 2024.
• Stock is up 3.4% year-on-year, so your home is being compared against more directly competing listings.
• Marketing periods are slightly longer than a year ago, with homes taking a few extra days on average to find an offer.
• Buyers are stretching budgets for the right property but walking away from anything priced ahead of the local market.

What does this mean for buyers in May 2026?

Buyers have the most choice in eight years, mortgage rates have stabilised at a three-year low, and first-time buyer budgets are 4.3% higher than they were a year ago. The market is rebalancing in their favour without prices actually falling.

How does Zoopla's index compare with Rightmove's?

Rightmove's monthly index tracks asking prices on its portal at the point of listing. Zoopla's index tracks completed sale prices and live market activity. The two indices are looking at the same market from opposite ends, which is why their numbers rarely match exactly.

Rightmove reported asking prices up 0.6% over the same year-to-May window. Zoopla's 1.5% completed-price figure is higher because the asking-to-agreed discount has widened, meaning sellers are accepting offers further below original listing.

How should I use this data when I sell?

Treat the national headline as background, not a guide to your own asking price. The numbers that decide what your house sells for are the ones from your own postcode in the last 90 days, plus the live competing listings on your street. ValuQ gives UK homeowners free, side-by-side property valuations from competing local estate agents, which lets sellers see what real local agents would price the property at side-by-side before speaking to any of them.

The national index sets the weather. Your postcode sets the price.