Buy-to-let mortgage searches eased in July as landlords continued to assess borrowing costs, taxation, and regulation before committing to new deals. Research firm Twenty7tec reported that buy-to-let search volumes remained slightly below their level a year earlier.
Residential purchase searches also saw a decline, falling 3% compared with June. First-time buyer searches decreased by 4% during July, though they remained slightly ahead of their level a year earlier.
In contrast, remortgage activity increased, with residential remortgage searches rising 7% during the month. Total mortgage market searches reached 1,790,196 in July, a 1% increase on June and broadly consistent with July 2025.
Nakita Moss, head of lender at Twenty7tec, noted that the mortgage market appears to be on a steady footing, with total search activity broadly in line with the previous year despite economic uncertainty. She highlighted remortgaging as the standout trend, with searches up 7% month-on-month and 5% year-on-year.