As school holidays approach, family buyers often become more focused. For sellers with space, gardens or flexible rooms, July can be a useful moment to attract motivated movers.

The rental market continues to shift, with new rules, rising rents and affordability pressures all shaping landlord decisions. July is a good time to review your property and your plans.

The rental market is still growing, but the way properties are managed has changed. August is a useful time for landlords to review tenancies, rent processes and record-keeping.

One of the biggest talking points this week has been the 11% week-on-week drop in sales agreed and a drop of 2% on the average asking price of a newly listed properties. While some seasonal softening is entirely normal during the summer holiday period, the scale of this fall has caught the attention of the property industry.