(Alliance News) - Buyer demand for UK properties rose in early June after a decline during May's period of unusually hot weather, online property portal Rightmove PLC reported on Friday.

Rightmove said buyer demand fell by an unseasonal 8% over the week, starting May 22, when the heatwave began. It said potential buyers were temporarily putting off booking viewing appointments, preferring to "either soak in or take shelter from the heat."

From June 1, as temperatures cooled and buyers started booking more viewings, Rightmove said buyer demand began to increase again. By June 6, activity had returned to "normal, seasonal trends," with demand exceeding pre-heatwave levels.

"The number of potential buyers sending enquiries to agents about homes for sale is still lower than at this time last year, but remains stable in line with the trends we've seen so far in 2026," Rightmove added.

"It's not unusual for short-term external events like a heatwave or school holidays to have a temporary impact on home-moving activity, and this time we had both at the same time, so it isn't surprising that some buyers paused their searches or delayed viewings for a few days," said Rightmove's property expert Colleen Babcock.

She added: "What's more telling is how quickly demand tends to bounce back, as we're now seeing, with underlying market activity remaining consistent with what we've seen in 2026 so far.

"We regularly see patterns like this in our real-time data, whether it's seasonal shifts, major events like the World Cup coming up, or even cultural moments influencing behaviour, which is a reminder as to the scale of the Rightmove platform."

By Emma Curzon, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.