Less than one in five new-build homes found a buyer in Q1, data reveals
Data from Property Inspect showed that Liverpool had the highest new-build stock at 10.5%, followed by Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Manchester and London.
Demand for new-build homes stayed subdued in the first quarter of 2026, with fewer than one in five new properties finding a buyer, according to data from Property Inspect.
Property Inspect’s New-Build Stock and Demand Index showed new-build stock made up 6.3% of all properties listed across Great Britain, a small quarterly and annual dip.
The analysis covered 20 major British cities, measuring new-build stock as a share of all market listings and demand as the proportion of new-build homes sold subject to contract.
Liverpool had the highest new-build stock at 10.5%, followed by Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Manchester and London.
Quarterly increases in new-build stock were seen in Newcastle, Cardiff, Bournemouth and Liverpool. Edinburgh, Newport and Aberdeen had the largest declines.
Portsmouth, Leicester and Liverpool saw the biggest annual gains, while Aberdeen, Nottingham and Glasgow dropped.
New-build demand was 16.4% across Great Britain, down on both the quarter and the year.
Portsmouth, Sheffield and Edinburgh recorded strong quarterly demand growth, while Southampton, Glasgow and Newport fell.
Annually, Portsmouth led with a 26.5% rise in buyer demand, followed by Sheffield, Nottingham and Plymouth.
Drops were seen in Newport, Aberdeen and Leicester.
Portsmouth had the highest demand for new-builds at 38.3%, followed by Sheffield, Southampton, Nottingham and Bournemouth.
Demand was lowest in Newport, Aberdeen and Liverpool.
Sián Hemming-Metcalfe, operations director at Property Inspect, said: “There’s still demand in the market, but buyers are being far more measured than they were before.
“For many, a new-build purchase now comes with a greater level of scrutiny around value, quality, and peace of mind.
“That means developers need to work harder to build confidence early, because where buyers feel reassured, sales still happen.”
Hemming-Metcalfe added: “What stands out in this quarter’s figures is just how varied the picture is from one city to the next.
“That tells us demand hasn’t gone away, but it has become much more selective.
“Buyers are still willing to move when pricing feels realistic and the product meets expectations, but they are much less willing to take a leap of faith than they were in a more buoyant market.”
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