More than 21,000 potential property owners who could be forced to sell in the near future have been identified by EXP.

The self-employed agent network says there is a “growing pool of off-market property opportunities” in England and Wales.

Signs of pressure

Many of the vendors are “showing signs of pressure to sell”, EXP says, before they approach an agent to start the process.

London has by far the largest share of possible sellers with 13,105 representing £7.1billion in residential stock, according to the research carried out using property intelligence platform Galim AI.

Of this number in the Capital, just over 4,100 have low-cost mortgage deals that are due to expire this year.

Landlords

A further 1,759 landlords own properties that currently fall below the required EPC standard ahead of the 2030 deadline, while another 7,218 homeowners are flagged due to other financial issues.

Outside of London, Manchester ranks second with 2,188 homeowners identified as being under pressure. More than two thirds – at 1,517 – are homeowners whose cheap fixed-rate mortgage deals are coming to an end, with a further 664 landlords facing EPC upgrade requirements.

The estimated value of these potential off-market opportunities exceeds £9billion across the 10 cities analysed.

Technology is allowing us to identify potential sellers much earlier.”

Adam Day, Head of EXP UK and Europe (pictured), says: “Not every homeowner identified by this research will decide to sell, but it provides a fascinating insight into where tomorrow’s housing supply could emerge before it ever reaches the open market.

“Historically, agents have only become involved once that decision has already been made. Increasingly, however, technology is allowing us to identify potential sellers much earlier, creating opportunities to have meaningful conversations before a property ever reaches the market.”