One in three properties have been reduced in price since going on the market

Nearly a third of properties in the UK’s cities and towns have been reduced in price since they were put on the market, new research has found.

According to figures compiled by online estate agent HouseSimple.com, 31.3% of houses currently on the market have had a price reduction.

HouseSimple looked at current listings on property website Zoopla for 100 major towns and cities across the UK and the percentage of properties listed that had been reduced in price.

In eight of these towns, more than 40% of properties currently for sale have had the initial asking price cut.

In Stockton on Tees in County Durham, almost half the properties (49.2%) being marketed have been dropped in price to secure a sale. While in Aberdeen, almost 46% have had a price reduction. This compares with Salford where just 12.3% of properties have been reduced in price.

The analysis reveals a clear North-South divide, with 17 out of the top 20 locations in terms of price reductions in the North of England or Scotland.

More than half (11) of this top 20 list are either in the North West or North East of England. Only one city in the south of England features in the top 20 list – Oxford – with 36.8% of properties having been cut in price since they were first listed.

Of the three largest cities in the UK, London has the highest percentage of properties currently being marketed (30%) that have had a price reduction since they were initially listed.

This compares with 27.6% in Birmingham and only 19.9% in Manchester. This suggests that estate agents in the capital are finding it harder to secure a sale and are having to drop asking prices to attract buyers.

Alex Gosling, CEO of online estate agents HouseSimple.com, said: “We saw a large disparity in our research across major UK towns and cities when it came to the percentage of properties reduced in price since they were first marketed.

“Price reductions can indicate that there are too many sellers and not enough buyers, but actually there has been a lack of stock coming onto the market and plenty of buyers looking. That would suggest that sellers are in the driving seat and wouldn’t need to drop their asking price to secure an offer. But with all the economic uncertainty, particularly around Brexit, buyers are being more cautious about purchasing, spending more time viewing multiple properties before making a decision.

“If sellers are committed to selling, then cutting the price is likely to attract more buyers, and particularly those buyers who have expressed an interest but are sitting on the fence.

“For anyone selling a property, there needs to be a lowest price you’re willing to take so that you are prepared to negotiate if a strong buyer – someone with finance in place who can move quickly to exchange – makes an offer. Sometimes holding out for an offer that might be a few thousand pounds more, could result in your property sitting on the market for months.”

Top 20 major UK towns and cities with the highest percentage of properties that have been reduced in price

London boroughs with the highest percentage of properties that have been reduced in price