Truth Check/8 October 2026

“RICS September 2026: new buyer enquiries net balance -22% (from -18%), agreed sales -18% (from -16%), new instructions +6%, headline price balance -32% (from -28%), 3-month price expectations -24%, 12-month zero, tenant demand +23%, rent expectations +37%; 193 responses, 422 branches”

The claim as it travelled: RICS, report published on rics.org, listing dated 6 Oct 2026.

Every net balance is read off the RICS September report, which also states the sample: 193 responses covering 422 branches.

Checked Against

rics.org ↗Primary

Read the Check

RICS September survey: new buyer enquiries slip to -22% and the house-price balance to -32%, the first month since March that the demand reading failed to improve

The report: agreed sales -18%, new instructions +6% ("the first reading in positive territory since mid-2025"), three-month price expectations -24%, twelve-month expectations at zero; tenant demand +23% with +37% expecting rents to rise; 193 responses covering 422 branches. A net balance measures how widespread a move is, not its size.

Every claim we have checked, in the Ledger.