We talk about the UK housing market all the time at Move iQ.
House prices are up. Transactions are down. Buyers are returning. Sellers are becoming more realistic. Confidence is improving.
All useful information. But if you’re thinking about buying or selling a home in a particular town, city or postcode, national headlines will only tell you so much.
Because the reality is that there isn’t one housing market.
There are thousands of local ones.
And understanding what’s happening on the ground is one of the reasons Move iQ spends time talking to estate agents around the country.
Taking the Move iQ Podcast on the road
When Move iQ attends regional Propertymark property conferences, we take our podcast with us.
Of course, it gives us an opportunity to talk about some of the bigger issues affecting the property industry.
But it also gives us something incredibly valuable: access to the people who know their local property markets better than almost anyone: estate agents.
We can look at national statistics and market data, but an experienced local agent can tell us what’s happening in a local area right now.
- Are family homes attracting multiple buyers?
- Are properties taking longer to sell?
- Are buyers negotiating harder?
- Which types of property are in short supply?
- Are particular areas suddenly becoming more popular?
- What are sellers actually accepting compared with their original asking prices?
That insight adds another dimension to the data. And it’s exactly the type of information consumers should be looking for.
It’s the advice we give consumers
At Move iQ, we consistently encourage consumers to do their research before making major property decisions.
Part of that research should involve understanding the local market.
If you’re moving to an area you don’t know particularly well, speak to the agents working there. Ask questions; find out what’s selling, how quickly it’s selling and where demand is coming from.
The same applies if you’re selling.
A national house price index can’t tell you how buyers are behaving in your road or what has happened to demand for your type of property over the past few months.
A good local estate agent can. They have their finger on the pulse of their markets because they’re operating within them every day. That’s expertise consumers should be using.
Bringing local market expertise to life
Move iQ’s YouTube channel has now achieved more than 8 million views to date and is approaching 50,000 subscribers.
People come to us for property information, education and guidance. But when it comes to understanding the housing market, national data can only take you so far. It needs local context from people who are experiencing those markets first-hand.
That’s the thinking behind our Local Housing Market Commentator initiative.
Every quarter, we work with selected Propertymark Protected agents to produce professional, podcast-style housing market reviews focused on their local area.
Led by a Move iQ presenter, each conversation combines licensed market data with the agent’s first-hand knowledge and experience. What’s happening to prices? Where is demand coming from? What’s selling? How are buyers, sellers and renters behaving? And what should someone considering a move in that area know?
Each participating area benefits from two reviews every quarter, covering sales and lettings separately.
Published on Move iQ and featuring the agent as our Local Market Commentator, these reviews give consumers access to credible, relevant local insight while helping agents build their visibility and reputation within the communities they serve.
Showing your local expertise
Estate and letting agents spend a great deal of time telling potential clients they’re local experts. But there’s a significant difference between saying it and demonstrating it.
Regular market commentary gives agents the opportunity to show what they know, share their perspective and build familiarity with potential clients, without turning the conversation into a sales pitch.
Each review is professionally produced, featuring the agent’s branding and Propertymark accreditation, and published through Move iQ to our established property audience.
The content is also shared with the agent’s YouTube channel, featured within relevant Move iQ Area Guides and provided in branded formats for use across their own website, social media, email marketing and client communications.
This creates an opportunity to reach consumers beyond an agent’s existing audience, while providing valuable content that continues to reinforce their local expertise.
And importantly, not everyone watching will be ready to move today. Building that familiarity and trust before someone needs an estate agent can make all the difference when the time comes.
Become a Move iQ Local Market Commentator
There will always be a place for national property commentary.
Interest rates, government policy, mortgage affordability, taxation and wider economic conditions affect movers across the country. But property itself remains intensely local.
What’s happening in Manchester isn’t necessarily what’s happening in Maidstone. One part of a county can behave very differently from another – sometimes the difference can be a few streets.
That’s why we’re complementing Move iQ’s national market coverage with a network of trusted local voices.
We’re inviting one Propertymark Protected agent per participating area to become Move iQ’s Local Market Commentator for their market.
Move iQ brings the production, licensed market data, presenter-led conversations, established consumer audience and promotional support. Agents bring something we can’t replicate: the knowledge and experience that comes from working in their local property market every day.
Together, we can create market commentary that’s genuinely useful to consumers, while giving participating agents a platform to demonstrate their expertise, build recognition and strengthen their position within their local market.
If you’re a Propertymark Protected agent and would like to become Move iQ’s Local Market Commentator for your area, find out more and check whether your area is available.
