The Intermediary – February 2026 - Flipbook - Page 91
L O C A L FO C U S
Stockport
An uplift in enquires
MICHAEL STREET
founding partner at Word On The Street
S
tockport continues to be a very attractive ‘value-to-Manchester’
market. We’re seeing steady demand across most price bands,
with the strongest activity in family homes and good commuter
locations (particularly where there’s easy access to rail and tram
links and the M60). Pricing feels more balanced than it was at the peak
and sellers are having to be realistic, but well-presented homes in the
right areas are still moving.
Overall, it feels like a market that’s stabilised rather than stalling, with
buyers taking a bit more time and doing more due diligence. Stockport
has and continues to see significant investment from local authority and
private venture capitalists.
We’ve seen an upli in enquiries and applications for buy-to-let (BTL)
and specialist BTL mortgages from people who had paused decisions
and are now re-engaging, both first-time landlords and professional
investors. Clients are still rate-sensitive, but they’re increasingly focused
on getting the ‘right fit’ overall.
We work across the market and place business with a wide range of
mainstream and specialist lenders depending on the client’s needs. In
the area, the established high-street and challenger bank lenders remain
active across buy-to-let, and we also regularly use specialist lenders for
complex income, self-employed clients, and cases involving adverse
credit or non-standard properties.
For clients, the ‘best’ lender is usually the one whose criteria and
service levels align with the scenario, that’s where our broker guidance
and support adds the most value.
Stockport’s continued regeneration is a big talking point, particularly
the ongoing investment in the town centre and transport connectivity.
We’re also seeing increased interest in areas that benefit from improved
links and local amenities, it all feeds into buyer confidence and longterm demand. From a mortgage perspective, where regeneration is
visible and sustained, it seems to be supporting both owner-occupier
demand and rental demand (subject to pricing and yields stacking up
Buy-to-let has been more selective. e landlords who are active are
typically experienced and numbers-led are focusing on yields, realistic
rental demand, and factoring in higher interest rates and running costs.
We’ve seen landlords being more strategic: some are refinancing to
optimise portfolios, others are buying where the yield comfortably
works, and some are pausing purchases if the deal doesn’t stack up.
Rental demand locally remains strong, but affordability caps and
compliance costs mean it’s not a ‘buy anything and it works’ market –
it’s about choosing the right property and structuring the finance
correctly. It’s most certainly a ‘buyer’s market’.
Rental demand
This regeneration-led activity is
also shaping the buy-to-let market.
Private rented stock in Stockport
accounts for 17.4% of homes, well
below the England and Wales average
of 23.6%, a dynamic that continues
to underpin tenant demand. As
Street observes: “Buy-to-let has been
more selective. The landlords who
are active are typically experienced
and numbers-led are focusing on
yields, realistic rental demand, and
factoring in higher interest rates and
running costs.”
This has led to a more strategic
approach across portfolios, where
“some are refinancing to optimise
Stockport
Residents
634k
Average age
42.4
Stockport postcode area.
Source: www.plumplot.co.uk
portfolios, others are buying where
the yield comfortably works, and
some are pausing purchases if the deal
doesn’t stack up.”
While local rental demand
remains strong, Street cautions that
affordability ceilings and rising
compliance costs mean “it’s not a
‘buy anything and it works’ market,”
but rather one “about choosing the
right property and structuring the
finance correctly.”
In that context, and despite the
competition for well-located stock,
the prevailing view is that it is “most
certainly a ‘buyer’s market’,” favouring
informed landlords who are prepared
to be selective.
Pragmatic activity
As the Stockport market looks ahead
to 2026, it is clear that local emphasis
has shied from speed to substance,
with residential homebuyers and
landlords alike approaching decisions
with greater clarity.
Speaking to local brokers, it appears
that lending strategies have become
even more bespoke in light of recent
volatility, with client expectations
more grounded.
In addition to these shiing
dynamics, ongoing regeneration
continues to provide a steady tailwind
rather than a speculative rush. In this
environment, investment opportunity
has not disappeared in the area – in
fact far from it – it has simply become
more selective and beer defined. As
Daffern aptly puts it, going forward,
this evolving landscape “will influence
the property market whilst creating
potential opportunities for new
buyers, renters, and investors.”
February 2026 | The Intermediary
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