John MacRae

Published by the Centre for RealEstate Research (CRER) at the University of Aberdeen Business School and using data supplied by ASPC, the latest report highlights positive movement across all three of the university’s key house price indices:

• Quarterly house price change: +3.1 per cent
• Annual price change: +0.7 per cent
• Five-year annualised price change: +0.3 per cent

The report also highlights a notable increase in market activity during the second quarter of 2026, with 1,525 residential property transactions recorded across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. This represents an increase of 35.3 per cent compared with the first quarter of 2026, reflecting the traditionally stronger spring market.

The report’s analysis of ASPC activity shows that 29.87 per cent of listed properties successfully transacted during Q2 2026, compared with 24.41 per cent in Q1 2026 and 27.03 per cent in Q2 2025, indicating a healthy level of buyer engagement.

The report also records a sale-to-asking-price ratio of 0.99, meaning properties were, on average, selling very close to their asking prices. This suggests a balanced market where buyers and sellers alike are operating with realistic expectations.

John MacRae, chairman, said: “The university report’s three indices show a mildly encouraging picture of our local area housing market for the second quarter of 2026. The three price indices all show some positive improvement – although the realistic view may be contained int he annualised five-year price index.

“My own, intuitively based, view is that despite seasonal fluctuations, the local market is coping reasonably well in difficult times. The economic background, the political atmosphere, the international news, all tend towards a resultant caution in the market.”