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London Property Marketing Intelligence — 28 September 2026

Mark Ivan
Sep 28
3 min read

MONDAY EDITION • 28 SEPTEMBER 2026

Independent weekly intelligence for London estate agents, developers and property professionals — focused on buyer behaviour, portals, listing media, AI imagery and drone operations.

Bottom line

London buyer attention has revived, but listings face exceptionally heavy competition. The strongest immediate opportunity for Mark Ivan Photos is premium relaunch marketing for stale or underperforming instructions, while preparing a more structured AI-ready delivery package.

1. London’s autumn bounce meets a crowded market

Rightmove’s September index reported a 9% jump in London buyer demand during 1–5 September. London asking prices rose 1.8% month-on-month but remained 2.6% below the previous year. Only 42% of London listings were finding buyers, the lowest regional success rate, and properties were taking around 78 days to secure a buyer. Nationally, available stock was at a 12-year seasonal high while buyer demand remained 9% below the previous year.

Why it matters commercially

Agents have plenty of instructions, but many are failing to convert. Premium presentation has more value in this environment — provided it accompanies realistic pricing.

Practical action

Promote an Autumn Listing Relaunch for properties sitting for 45–60 days: refreshed hero photography, corrected image order, floor-plan review, a 30–45-second vertical preview and drone coverage where suitable. Position it as a conversion reset before, or alongside, a price adjustment.

Primary source — Rightmove House Price Index: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/news/house-price-index/

2. AI-driven property discovery is becoming tangible

MyPorta launched on 22 September with conversational property search, compatibility scores and free agent listings. It claimed more available properties than Rightmove, although that inventory claim had not been independently verified. It can index public listings from agents’ own websites and send visitors back to the original agent; direct CRM feeds can contain fuller descriptions and photographs.

Separately, vendor-conducted visibility research covering 10,560 AI responses found that ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Google AI Overviews typically recommended only three to five estate agencies. This measures AI visibility rather than agency quality, but it demonstrates how narrow AI-generated shortlists can be.

Why it matters commercially

An agent’s own website, clearly described capabilities and structured property information are becoming more important. Photography remains essential for conversion, but imagery alone may not be enough for AI-led discovery.

Practical action

Add an optional AI-ready listing pack: descriptive filenames and room labels; a one-line caption for each key image; a feature and location summary; suggested website alt text; and a separate vertical video for social discovery. Make your own website explicit about London coverage, 5,000+ shoots, services, turnaround and verified reviews.

3. Sale-ready packs are moving from policy toward implementation

Rightmove held an agent-preparation session on 23 September covering upfront sales packs, material information and digital property logbooks. The Government roadmap says logbooks and sales packs will begin appearing in relevant government homeownership schemes during 2027, with universal legislation intended when parliamentary time allows. This is a confirmed direction of travel, but not yet a universal legal requirement.

Why it matters commercially

Accurate floor plans and well-organised property assets will increasingly become part of a structured pre-listing workflow rather than last-minute marketing extras.

Practical action

Describe the combined service as a sale-ready media pack: photographs, measured floor plan, aerial assets and clearly named files delivered in one organised folder. Avoid taking responsibility for legal or survey information.

4. New-build launch opportunities are tightening

Rightmove reported on 26 September that new developments joining the market during the first half of 2026 reached a record low — more than 50% below the first half of 2019. Total developments advertised fell to 2,766, down 4% from the end of 2025.

Why it matters commercially

Pure new-build launch work may remain harder to win. Live renovation, demolition and construction-progress work is likely the better growth route.

Practical action

Continue pushing staged construction coverage: demolition, structural works, first fix, pre-completion and final marketing — sold as one documented project rather than isolated shoots.

Drone and virtual-staging check

No consequential new CAA or portal rule appeared this week. The current CAA registration table says drones from 100g to under 250g require a Flyer ID, and a camera-equipped drone in that weight band also requires an Operator ID. Check that both IDs remain valid and that the aircraft carries the Operator ID.

For virtual staging, continue supplying the authentic image alongside the staged version, mark the staged image clearly and never digitally change permanent features, room dimensions, condition or views. ASA guidance makes clear that a disclosure cannot rescue imagery that creates a materially misleading impression.

Primary source — Advertising Standards Authority: https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/misleading-advertising.html

This week’s commercial priority

Launch the autumn relaunch proposition first; add the AI-ready delivery option second.

Property media, thoughtfully considered. Mark Ivan Photos — premium property photography, film, drone and floor plans across London.

 
 
 

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