Wakefield home sales take longest in UK, new study reveals

Wakefield is the slowest-selling city in Britain, with homes spending twice as long as the national average on the market before an offer is agreed.

Figures from property management CRM provider Alto, which is plugged into more than 6,000 estate agents nationwide, found sales in the city from January 1 to June 11 take roughly 63 days from the point of being put on the market.

Wakefield was found to be the slowest-selling city in Britain | Shutterstock

placeholder image — Wakefield was found to be the slowest-selling city in Britain | Shutterstock

Wakefield home sellers wait more than twice as long as the UK average of 35 days, and nearly six times longer than in Glasgow, where homes go under offer in 11 days.

The property management CRM provider, which shared the research, has created a free Speed of Sale Index tool showing homeowners how quickly properties sell in their area after entering their postcode.

Riccardo Iannucci-Dawson, CEO of Alto, said: "What separates the fastest cities from the slowest is how close the asking price is to what local buyers will actually pay on day one.

“Homes that end up needing a price cut often take three and a half times longer to sell than homes that don't. That's three months lost getting to a number you could have started at. Wherever you're selling, the first fortnight on the market is the part that counts."

Wakefield's position doesn't reflect Yorkshire as a whole. Sheffield and Bradford both sit in the ten fastest cities in Britain at 25 days each, selling 60 per cent faster than Wakefield. York, at 39 days, is the fifth slowest nationally but still 38 per cent quicker.