Agency: UK house asking prices fall as heat and World Cup distract buyers
British real estate website Rightmove said on Monday that asking prices for newly listed houses and apartments in the UK fell unusually sharply in the four weeks to July 11, as the Men's Football World Cup and record high temperatures distracted buyers, while high home-buying costs also dampened demand. Asking prices for properties for sale fell 1.0% from the previous month, which was greater than the 0.2% average decline over the same period over the past 10 years. Rightmove also said: house asking prices fell 0.4% year-on-year, after falling 0.5% in June; the average two-year fixed mortgage interest rate fell to 4.92% from 5.07% in June, but still higher than 4.25% in February; the number of home sales agreements reached in the first half of 2026 fell 6% year-on-year, but was roughly the same as the first half of 2024; the number of properties for sale fell 1% year-on-year, but was close to the high for the same period in the past 12 years.