Analysis reveals countries worst hit by property market lockdown

The UK has experienced a 4.1 per cent drop in property website visits but its market is by no means the worst affected by lockdown.

Rentals search website Spotahome analysed visits to Europeans main property portals over the past six months.

It found visits to Rightmove in the UK were down 4.1 per cent since November 2019 but the biggest drop was in Greece, with visits to the country’s equivalent called XE down 7.2 per cent.

Luxembourg, Italy and Belgium all saw visits to their respective portals decline by more than six per cent.

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However, Austria and Finland, where lockdown restrictions started earlier than the UK and where eased in mid-March both saw property website visits climb 7.8 per cent, according to the research.

Visits to the main property portal in Sweden, which has become renowned for its more relaxed approach to lockdown, were also up 7.4 per cent.

“It’s interesting to see how the severity of the current pandemic has impacted property market sentiment across Europe,” Jack Kuecker, director for the UK and Ireland at Spotahome, said.

“This is, of course, influenced by the varying levels of lockdown restrictions, with some nations maintaining a business as usual stance while others have ceased market activity completely.

“The good news is the most recent market indicators suggest the UK market is set for a swift comeback. We’ve already seen a sustained level of activity across our platform for the duration of the UK lockdown; both domestic and international tenants are keen to find rental properties.”

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