Fall-through rates in the UK housing market fell slightly in the first quarter of 2026, with most sectors recording an improvement.
According to TwentyCI, the national fall-through rate – defined as the proportion of agreed sales that fail to complete – declined from 24% in Q1 2025 to 23.7% in Q1 2026.
Ten out of 13 UK regions saw rates fall during this period. The largest improvement was recorded in Northern Ireland with a fall of 11.1%, followed by Scotland (-6.3%) and Wales (-5.7%).
Inner London was the obvious exception. Fall-through rates in the capital rose from 24.6% to 27%, meaning more than one in four agreed sales failed to reach completion. The increase follows the announcement of a proposed mansion tax at the end of 2025, which is understood to have hit buyer confidence, especially at higher price points.
In absolute terms, the number of fall-throughs fell 12.1%, from 76,814 in the first quarter of 2025 to 67,489 in the first quarter of 2026.
Colin Bradshaw, chief executive of TwentyCI, said: “Although the overall decline in fall-through rates is modest, it is still meaningful for agents operating in a challenging market.
“Regional variation is also notable, with some areas seeing significantly greater improvement than others.”
The report also highlights a consistent pattern when transactions collapse. About 38% of fall-throughs occur within the first four weeks after a sale is agreed, with this falling to less than 16% in weeks one and two alone.
After 12 weeks, the chances of a deal falling through decrease sharply, with weekly rates falling below 3%.
Bradshaw said: “The data clearly shows that the greatest risk occurs in the first four weeks after a sale is agreed. If a deal is going to fail, it is most likely to happen within that window.
“Proactive communication with all parties during the early weeks is best practice, and data shows this is where agents can have the greatest impact.”