Manchester listings: the headline and the street-level picture

[kite.first]

The 81-day figure changed my view. I had expected lease length to explain most of the variation, but the Manchester student-housing listings in my notes—priced from £496,100 to £744,100—may be mixing genuinely motivated sellers with homes that are effectively off the market.

Before blaming seasonality, I want to separate completed sales, reductions and withdrawals, then split them by neighbourhood. Has anyone found that seller motivation or boundary choice explains the stale stock better than lease length?

 

[GreenPost]

Lease length could explain part of it, but 81 days on a portal does not necessarily equal 81 days with a committed seller. Some stale listings may have been repriced, relisted or effectively withdrawn without disappearing from your sample. I’d compare completed sales with the original asking prices, then note when the first meaningful price cut occurred.

 

[otis.elm]

Lease length is the obvious place to start, but I think neighbourhood and condition may be more useful first cuts. Similar-looking student properties can attract different buyers once location and financing constraints are considered.

The missing figure for me is new supply. If listings increased while completions barely moved, seasonality becomes a stronger explanation; if not, the 81 days may mainly reflect relisted or unmotivated stock.