Why Property Still Matters: Property matters because it continues to create borrowing, refinancing and protection needs across changing market conditions.
Prices may slow. Buyer confidence may weaken. However, people still move home, refinance loans, restructure property portfolios and respond to changing rental demand.
For mortgage advisers, the important question is not whether every market measure is rising. It is where changing conditions create a genuine need for informed advice.
At a Glance
- Buyer demand remained subdued at the start of 2026, but survey sentiment was improving.
- Mortgage approvals showed that borrowers were still purchasing and refinancing property.
- Regional price differences made local evidence increasingly important.
- Restricted rental supply continued to support landlord and tenant discussions.
- Advisers needed to interpret affordability, criteria and property risks rather than simply quote rates.
What Did the Early 2026 Research Show?
The January 2026 RICS Residential Market Survey found that the UK housing market remained cautious.
Its net balance for new buyer enquiries improved from -21% in December to -15% in January. The agreed-sales balance reached -9%, its least negative reading since June 2025.
RICS also reported a +35% balance for expected sales over the following 12 months. This indicated that more surveyors expected activity to increase than decrease.
However, a survey balance does not mean sales rose by 35%. It measures the difference between respondents reporting an increase and those reporting a fall.
This distinction matters. Advisers should present market surveys as indicators of sentiment, not guarantees of future performance.
Read the January 2026 RICS Residential Market Survey for its methodology and regional findings.
Mortgage Activity Continued Despite Caution
The housing market does not need rapid price growth to create mortgage activity.
Bank of England figures showed 61,000 net mortgage approvals for house purchases in December 2025. Approvals for remortgaging with another lender increased to 38,400.
The effective interest rate on newly drawn mortgages also fell to 4.15%, from 4.20% in November.
These figures showed an active market, although borrowing decisions remained sensitive to affordability and lender pricing.
Advisers therefore needed to examine:
- The borrower’s deposit or available equity.
- Monthly affordability under the proposed rate.
- Product fees and early repayment charges.
- Lender stress-testing requirements.
- Property type and valuation risk.
- The client’s expected ownership period.
The Bank of England’s December 2025 mortgage data provides the lending context available around the article’s publication date.
Property Performance Was Not Uniform
A national average can conceal significant regional differences.
RICS respondents reported stronger price conditions in Northern Ireland, Scotland, North West England and northern England. London, the South East, South West and East Anglia recorded weaker balances.
This means property advice cannot rely on one national headline.
Location may affect:
- Comparable property values.
- Rental demand and expected rent.
- Required deposit levels.
- Loan-to-value calculations.
- Saleability and valuation confidence.
- The lender’s exposure to a property type or postcode.
Advisers should combine market evidence with lender criteria, valuation reports and the client’s circumstances.
Rental Demand Kept Property Finance Relevant
The RICS survey recorded a +13% tenant-demand balance for the three months to January 2026.
At the same time, landlord instructions remained negative at -24%. A +28% balance of respondents expected rents to increase over the near term.
These figures did not make every rental property suitable for finance. They did, however, show why rental supply, property quality and local tenant demand remained important.
A buy-to-let assessment may consider:
- Expected monthly rent.
- Interest coverage ratio requirements.
- The borrower’s tax position.
- Personal or limited-company ownership.
- Property licensing requirements.
- Refurbishment and maintenance costs.
- Potential void periods.
Our January 2026 RICS Residential Market Survey explains the main lending considerations for advisers and landlords.
Why This Matters to Mortgage Advisers
Property decisions often become more technical when confidence is mixed.
A straightforward borrower may need help comparing fixed periods. A landlord may need an affordability assessment across several properties. Another client may require bridging, commercial or specialist finance.
The adviser’s role is to connect the client’s objective with:
- Verifiable financial information.
- Current lender criteria.
- A suitable property assessment.
- Clear risk explanations.
- A compliant recommendation where regulated advice applies.
Technology can help research products and organise information. It cannot decide whether a recommendation is suitable without accurate case details and professional judgement.
Connect advisers can access structured learning through our training and development for mortgage brokers.
How a Mortgage Network Supports Property Advice
A mortgage network can give Appointed Representatives access to compliance guidance, systems, training and a wider lender panel.
This becomes particularly useful when property cases involve:
- Non-standard construction.
- Portfolio landlords.
- Houses in multiple occupation.
- Limited-company borrowing.
- Short-term finance.
- Commercial or semi-commercial property.
- Complex income evidence.
The purpose of network support is not to remove adviser responsibility. It is to provide a structured environment in which advisers can research, document and submit cases correctly.
Advisers comparing network models can review the support available when they join Connect Network.
Property Creates Both National and Local Search Demand
Clients increasingly search online before speaking with an adviser. Their searches often combine a product, location and personal need.
Connect Experts provides a consumer-facing directory where users can find a mortgage adviser by location and other relevant preferences.
Connect Experts is a directory and matching platform. Advice is provided by the selected adviser or firm. This connection gives Connect Network ARs a clearer route from local online visibility to adviser discovery.
Property Still Matters Because Its Finance Keeps Changing
Property remains important to mortgage advisers because it sits behind a continuing range of financial decisions.
The market may become faster or slower. Prices may differ by region. Rental supply may tighten while purchase demand softens.
Yet each change affects affordability, criteria, valuation and client planning.
Property provides the asset. Lending provides the mechanism. Advice helps determine whether the two can be joined responsibly.
That is why property still mattered in early 2026, and why technical mortgage knowledge remained essential.
