Best and worst regions for finding a buyer quickly are revealed

Zoopla has identified a distinct postcode lottery for homeowners who are looking to sell.

Research by the portal found the chances of finding a buyer within three months vary dramatically depending on where a property is located.

The analysis, which tracks homes listed for sale between April and June 2026, shows that 86% of properties in Motherwell in Scotland found a buyer within three months, compared with just 16% in north west London.

It means homes in Motherwell were more than five times as likely to find a buyer within that period.

Scotland dominates the stronger-performing locations, with Glasgow at 83% and Edinburgh at 78% also recording high proportions of homes finding buyers.

Greater affordability, alongside Scotland’s system of marketing homes with a Home Report containing a valuation and survey, helps to support buyer confidence and more realistic pricing, Zoopla said.

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is pricing their property based on what they need to buy their next home.”

Homeowners in London and parts of southern England face a more challenging market. Higher property prices mean buyers are more exposed to increased mortgage costs, while Stamp Duty adds to the expense of moving, the research warns.

The analysis also reveals how quickly local housing markets can change, with some areas seeing a marked improvement in the chances of finding a buyer in the past year, while others have become considerably more challenging.

Glasgow has recorded an 8.5 percentage point increase in the proportion of homes finding a buyer within three months, followed closely by Preston at8.2 percentage points and Motherwell at 5.2 percentage points.

At the other end of the scale, Telford has seen the largest decline among the selected locations, down 11.5 percentage points, followed by Halifax at 10.3 percentage points and Falkirk at 10.1 percentage points.

The analysis shows that homes requiring a price reduction are around half as likely to find a buyer within three months as those that don’t, demonstrating the importance of setting a realistic asking price from the outset.

Seller mistakes

Richard Donnell, Executive Director at Zoopla, (pictured) says: “With more homes for sale, buyers have greater choice and sellers need to be realistic about their asking price.

“One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is pricing their property based on what they need to buy their next home, rather than what buyers are prepared to pay.

“Our analysis shows that homes requiring a price reduction are around half as likely to find a buyer within three months as those that don’t. Sellers who price competitively when first listing stand a much better chance of attracting interest and agreeing a sale.”