How quickly a home finds a buyer depends partly on the local market, but the meaning of the timing measure matters too. In October 2023, Rightmove compared areas with relatively short marketing periods. Its national figure was 59 days from first listing until a property was marked under offer or sold subject to contract.
That endpoint was not the day the buyer received the keys. Surveys, finance, legal work and other steps could still remain. Calling the measure time to find a buyer therefore gives a more accurate account of the data than describing every property as having completed a sale within the stated period.
Prestwick in Scotland led the areas highlighted by the report, with a recorded fourteen-day average. Fenham in the North East followed at 29 days, while Kirkby in the North West was reported at thirty. Other examples included Eccleshill, St Judes and Alvaston, with averages in the low thirties.
The list continued through Northfleet, Willenhall, Witham and Worcester Park, while Canton represented Wales at 42 days. These were selected area-level results from a particular reporting period. They did not establish a guaranteed marketing time for every property in those locations.
Asking-price movements also varied. The source reported that five of its eleven highlighted areas had annual asking-price growth. Alvaston recorded 13% and Kirkby 6%, while Eccleshill was broadly unchanged. Other places combined relatively quick buyer interest with lower asking prices than a year earlier.
Rightmove also reported an association between early enquiries and the likelihood of a sale. Properties receiving an enquiry on their first marketing day were more likely to sell than those waiting two weeks for one. That relationship does not prove that generating a single enquiry would cause a sale; presentation, price and the property itself can influence both outcomes.
The archived comparison is useful because it separates speed, price and eventual completion. Each describes a different part of the selling process. These October 2023 figures are retained as historical observations, with no claim that the same ranking or timetable applies to today’s market.