Property sales across Britain are progressing nearly seven times faster in certain locations than in others, according to a property website.
Meanwhile, roughly half of local authority areas are experiencing longer transaction times than a year earlier.
Data from Zoopla indicates that while the nationwide average duration to secure a buyer remained static at 42 days in the year to July, this overall figure conceals an expanding divide between high-performing and sluggish local markets.
Out of 363 local authorities analysed by the portal, around half — specifically 180 areas — recorded an increase in the average timeframe needed to sell a residential property over the past 12 months.
In Melton, located in the East Midlands, finding a buyer took an average of 76 days, which represents a 21-day extension compared to July 2025.
By contrast, properties in Falkirk, Scotland, sold roughly seven times faster at an average of just 11 days — one day quicker for the area than recorded a year prior.
Zoopla attributed the delays to higher average mortgage rates, which have encouraged prospective buyers to adopt a “wait and see” strategy, thereby lengthening the time required to locate a buyer across many regional markets.
Many of the faster markets are in Scotland, and the website said the speed reflects the Scottish sales market working differently to the rest of Britain, and homes generally being relatively affordable.
Homes in Scotland are typically marketed as “offers over” a price, with homes having a valuation and home survey available, Zoopla added.
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Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, said: “While the national time to sell has barely moved, that stability is masking a real divide opening up between local markets.
“In areas like Melton in Leicestershire, homes are taking noticeably longer to sell than a year ago, while markets just a short drive away are speeding up.”
He suggested: “If you’re selling in a slower market, don’t take a ‘wait and see’ approach – talk to a local agent who knows what’s happening street by street, and make sure your home is priced right from day one.”
Zoopla’s “time to sell” research tracked the period from homes being first listed on the market to estate agents reporting sales agreed. Some local authorities were excluded from the research due to small sample sizes.
When it comes to regional hot spots, Barnsley and Newcastle-under-Lyme are among the areas selling much faster than last year according to the website – with Barnsley sellers seeing an average speed increase of 13 days, and those in Newcastle-under-Lyme seeing an average 11 day speed increase.