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Property prices and the World Cup

ended 01. June 2026

House prices contracted by 0.6% in May, the Nationwide reported this morning. With the World Cup starting next week, could people turning their attention to the footy see prices fall further as demand potentially drops off? In your experience, how does demand usually fare during the six weeks or so of a World Cup? Do people put their property plans on hold or is that all nonsense - and it's BAU? And if demand does weaken, could the World Cup be an opportunity for aspiring buyers to put it ‘top bins’ with their offers?

2 responses from the Newspage community

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Nouran Moustafa
Practice Principal & IFA at Roxton Wealth
I would not blame the World Cup if house prices soften further. Football might distract people for a few weeks, but mortgage affordability, rates, confidence and pricing are doing the heavy lifting.

That said, big tournaments can create a bit of buyer laziness. Some people delay viewings, weekends get swallowed by matches and sellers may notice fewer casual enquiries. Serious buyers do not disappear, but the “maybe we should start looking” crowd can go quiet.

For motivated buyers, that can be useful. If a seller is already nervous after softer price data and viewings slow during the tournament, there may be room to negotiate. But this is not a guaranteed open goal. Good homes, priced properly, still attract interest.

My view is simple: the World Cup will not crash the market, but it may create pockets of distraction. A well-prepared buyer with finance ready could use that moment to put in a sharper offer.
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Editor
Ben Perks
Managing Director at Orchard Financial Advisers
Football is coming home, and the price of the home it returns to will be largely unaffected by the tournament. No one is so excited about England v Panama at 10pm on a Saturday night that it’ll impact their home move decisions. The hysteria will grip the nation in the final few weeks, should the three lions roar. So any impact on house prices will be due to government policy and mortgage rate.