Average asking prices rose by more than £4,000 in a single month, despite a clear north-south divide, according to the latest figures from Rightmove.

It claimed that the average price of a newly-listed home in Britain rose by 1.2%, the equivalent of £4,333 this month.

It exceeds the typical 10-year May increase of 1%, and sees the average asking price rise from £373,971 in April to £378,304 in May.

At the same time, buyer choice is now at its highest level for this time of year for more than a decade, Rightmove’s property expert Colleen Babcock explains.

Many buyers are struggling to raise the funds required, amid a backdrop of economic and politic uncertainty and the global conflict in the Middle East.

Buyer affordability

Rightmove suggested there is a marked difference in affordability in the south of the country compared to the north.

While the national average shows an annual price fall of 0.3%, this masks major regional discrepancies.

The more affordable North East has seen asking prices rise 2.7% in the past year, and the North West is up 2.6%.

By contrast, London has seen asking prices drop 2.4% and the South East is down 1.6%.

North-South divide

Rightmove explained that this uneven price performance is unfolding against a backdrop of an 11-year high in buyer choice.

Babcock, says: “It’s normal to see asking prices pick up as we move through the spring selling season. What’s notable this month is that activity in the market is staying fairly steady, even with ongoing cost‑of‑living pressures and wider global uncertainty.

“The number of sales agreed is holding up well, consistent with trends we’ve seen in 2026 so far. However, this overall positive national monthly snapshot masks a north-south divide in year-on-year seller pricing-power.

“Prices are rising in the north, but all sellers should note that buyer choice is now at its highest level for this time of year since 2015.”

Agents have a key role to play, working closely with sellers to set realistic prices from day one.”

She added: “Getting the asking price right from the outset is therefore increasingly important, as homes priced too ambitiously are taking longer to sell.

“Our research shows that a home that’s been reduced takes on average 91 more days to sell than a home that hasn’t needed to be reduced. That’s where agents have a key role to play, working closely with sellers to set realistic prices from day one to help homes to attract immediate interest and sell more quickly.”

Benjamin Brain, Sales & Marketing Director at Hannells, adds: “We’re continuing to see numerous examples of properties achieving sales at or above asking price where homes are priced realistically from the outset.”