The Intermediary – September 2025 - Flipbook - Page 97
A robust market
TOBY AULD
business principal and adviser at Fisher Coulson Property Finance
JESSICA O’CONNOR
is deputy editor
at The Intermediary
Transactions are increasingly
fragile, with chains collapsing more
oen and timelines stretching. Best
observes: “First-time and subsequent
movers are buying further afield
in Oxfordshire, but with limited
supply under £500,000 the market is
very competitive.” This forces many
buyers to expand their search beyond
central Oxford. At the other end of the
spectrum, “properties over £800,000
up to £1.5m have stagnated, and we
have seen sellers accept a lower offer in
the last year on a couple of deals.”
Enduring demand
Nevertheless, Oxford remains
an aractive property market,
bolstered by the university, a steady
flow of professionals, and the city’s
international reputation.
Toby Auld, business principal and
adviser at Fisher Coulson Property
Finance, explains: “Although there
has been minimal growth since 2024,
Oxford is an ever-popular destination
due to its status as a hub for education
and research, consistently aracting
buyers from the UK and abroad.”
That underlying demand provides
a degree of insulation against wider
economic headwinds, ensuring
that Oxford continues to draw both
domestic and overseas interest.
he housing market in Oxford remains robust, with average
house prices at around £477,000. Although there has been
minimal growth since 2024, Oxford is an ever-popular
destination due to its status as a hub for education and
research, consistently attracting buyers from the UK and abroad. e
appetite for residential mortgages has increased as interest rates have
come down, bringing a larger number of potential buyers into the
market. is has also helped to fuel a greater number of properties
coming onto the market. Buyer and seller confidence has been lower
than in the last year or so, which can cause transactions to fall through.
For this reason, it has become more important than ever for buyers to
have the backing of a mortgage in principle before making an offer, in
order to be taken seriously and avoid any delays in the transaction. e
Oxford North Development is an example of what makes Oxford a
unique destination, not only in the UK but globally. is development
will see a million square . of labs and workspaces, 480 new homes and
three public parks. It is billed as a new district to enable the next
century of life-changing discoveries in science and technology.
T
He adds that “the appetite for
residential mortgages has increased
as interest rates have come down,
bringing a larger number of potential
buyers into the market,” though
“buyer and seller confidence has been
lower than in the last year or so, which
can cause transactions to fall through.”
This faltering confidence makes
broker advice even more critical, and
Auld notes that “it has become more
important than ever for buyers to have
the backing of a mortgage in principle
before making an offer, in order to be
taken seriously and avoid any delays in
the transaction.”
Prevailing demographics
The Oxford postcode area is home to
688,000 residents with an average
age of just over 40. Gunn notes that
over two decades he has worked with
“first-time buyers, local and foreign
property investors, high-net-worth
individuals and many next time
movers and refinancers.”
One of the key shis this year has
been the way clients are tackling
stalled transactions, he adds: “Clients
[are] looking to understand other
ways to solve timing issues when a
property’s struggling to sell. They are
oen turning to other tools such as
structured bridging, second charge,
let-to-buy. The phrase ‘proceedable’
has a huge currency in 2025 property
market and can oen be achieved in a
variety of ways.”
The wide-ranging client base is
echoed by Darren Meehan of Bright
Money Independent, who notes: “Our
→
client base is diverse, with academics,
September 2025 | The Intermediary
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