England’s economy is missing out on more than £900 million annually due to property transactions collapsing before completion, according to new analysis from UK property portal Rightmove. The figures, published on 27 February 2026, illustrate the growing economic impact of failed house sales across the country, particularly in England, and highlight the knock-on effects on estate agents, government revenues and the wider housing market.
Rightmove’s research estimates that approximately 6 per cent of property transactions in England fall through and do not re-enter the market within 12 months. These incomplete transactions resulted in nearly £392 million in lost potential estate agency commissions and around £515 million in uncollected stamp duty revenue for the UK government last year. Combined, these figures suggest a total economic opportunity loss of over £900 million annually.
The analysis is based on the total of about 1.03 million housing transactions in England in the previous year and an assumed average stamp duty payment of £7,590, alongside an average estate agency commission of around 1.5 per cent. Rightmove notes that it took on average five months for a house purchase to complete across Britain, underlining how drawn-out the process can be when transactions do go ahead.
Rightmove’s chief executive, Johan Svanstrom, pointed to “economic opportunity” that could be unlocked if fall-through rates were reduced, emphasising the broader effects on buyers and sellers as well as agents. The portal has previously advocated for modernising and digitising parts of the property transaction process to improve efficiency, transparency and consumer confidence.
Although the primary focus of the analysis was on England, similar dynamics are at play in other parts of the UK. Rightmove’s calculations indicate that Scotland and Wales lost around £7 million and £23 million respectively in potential economic activity due to failed sales, though differences in land-tax systems and lower fall-through rates affect the scale of the impact in these nations.
The findings arrive against a backdrop of broader challenges in the UK housing market, including shifts in buyer demand triggered by tax speculation and evolving stamp duty thresholds introduced in April 2025. Experts have warned that these tax changes, combined with ongoing uncertainty about future property levies and the cost of borrowing, have contributed to slower market activity and complicated transactions for buyers and sellers alike.
In summary, the Rightmove analysis underscores a pressing issue in the UK property market: while house sales are a key economic driver, a significant portion fails to complete, depriving the economy and government of substantial revenue and creating financial and emotional costs for those involved in the process.
