Are buyers negotiating more in Manchester after 102 days?

C

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Buyer
Established
Either 102 days indicates room for a lower bid, or it simply shows that the original price was unrealistic. I am not comfortable relying on either explanation without seeing what actually completed.

The Manchester villas I am reviewing are roughly £717,600 to £1,076,000. I would like to compare sold prices with each property’s original listing, reductions and any relisting, while separating vacant homes from owner-occupied or tenanted ones. Buyer financing and the volume of genuinely new listings may also explain why apparently similar properties move differently.

Has anyone followed that information within tightly defined neighbourhood boundaries? Broad Manchester comparisons seem likely to mix different conditions and local markets, especially if refurbishment projects are included.
 
I wouldn’t treat 102 days by itself as evidence that buyers are negotiating more. A property can sit because the seller will not adjust, then disappear without selling. Look at when the first price cut happened, whether similar stock completed, and how many apparent listings were actually withdrawn or relisted.
 
How tightly are you defining Manchester? Even nearby neighbourhood boundaries can produce misleading comparisons, especially in that price range. I’d also separate vacant, owner-occupied and tenanted properties rather than treating vacancy as a yes/no detail. Are the villas broadly comparable in condition, or does the sample include major refurbishment projects?
 
I agree on narrowing the area, but I’m less convinced that completed-price comparisons will answer the negotiation question cleanly. They reflect deals agreed earlier, while today’s financing position and new-listing volume may be different. Public asking histories can also miss an earlier listing after an agent change. They are useful, just not a complete record of seller flexibility.
 
A workable approach would be to build a small matched set for each property: same immediate neighbourhood, similar size and condition, then record original ask, each visible reduction, days until status changed, and eventual completed price where available. Keep withdrawals in a separate column rather than deleting them. That should reveal whether 102 days ends in a discount, a sale near ask, or no transaction.
 
Also ask the agent questions that distinguish time pressure from simple overpricing: Is the property vacant now? Is there an onward purchase? Have previous offers failed because of price, survey issues or buyer financing? The answers may be incomplete, but combined with the matched set Elias suggests, they give you a better basis for an offer than days on market alone.
 
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