The North East property market is showing no signs of winter slowdown.
We’re now well into the second full week of 2026, and the data is not just stable — it’s quietly getting tighter.
Latest live snapshot (mid-January 2026):
- Average time-to-let (managed portfolio): 6.8 days (new record low this cycle)
- % of properties with tenant waiting lists: 55% (up from 54% last week)
- New enquiry volume for HMO/BRR acquisitions: +17% vs January 2025
- Top micro-market gross yields (current live comps): 10.6–11.6%
Fastest micro-markets right now (mid-January 2026):
- SR4 / SR5 (Sunderland central & east) → 10.9–11.6%
- NE28 / NE29 (Wallsend / North Shields) → 10.6–11.3%
- DH4 / DH5 (Houghton-le-Spring) → 10.5–11.2%
- TS1 / TS4 (Middlesbrough core) → 10.4–11.0%
Real deals that exchanged or completed in the last 7–10 days:
- £180k 3-bed in NE28 → £36k conversion → £3,350 pcm → 11.2% gross
- £208k 4-bed in SR4 → £44k to 6-bed → £3,850 pcm → 11.3% gross
- £225k in DH4 → £52k to 7-bed → £4,200 pcm → 11.4% gross
What’s keeping the pressure building?
- Rent growth now tracking 9.1–9.5% YoY (latest regional ONS data)
- January student & young professional move-in demand exceeding even December levels
- Corporate relocation wave (tech, media, advanced manufacturing) still feeding strong enquiry
- Affordability gap vs South now ~£140k+ (widening further)
- Buy-to-let mortgage rates continuing to ease: 2-year fixed averaging 4.28–4.40% this week (lender panels)
Investor & agent mood mid-January:
- “This January feels like March 2022 — busiest start in years” — 6 regional sourcing & agency contacts (this week)
- Off-market stock vanishing in <24–36 hours when priced correctly
- Institutional capital now actively deploying — second major fund confirmed North East buying programme this week
Bottom line for mid-January 2026: The North East isn’t “holding up” — it’s accelerating. Double-digit yields are still very achievable, but the window to secure them at current pricing levels is closing faster every week.
2026 is not a wait-and-see year. It’s already a go year.
The question is no longer if the region will keep outperforming — it’s how much advantage you’ll capture before the wider market fully catches on.
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Let’s make January unstoppable. Happy investing from Mike Bells Property Sourcing.