TL;DR
Five major UK house price indices each measure different points of the property transaction. Rightmove tracks asking prices on new listings. Halifax and Nationwide track approved mortgage offers. HM Land Registry and the ONS UK House Price Index track completed transactions. The indices typically diverge by 2 to 6 months because they sit at different stages of the transaction cycle.
Last reviewed: 2 June 2026
The Rightmove House Price Index is the earliest signal of where UK house prices are heading. It tracks asking prices on properties newly listed on Rightmove, which captures the seller's intent at the moment of going to market. It is not the same as the Halifax, Nationwide, HM Land Registry or Office for National Statistics indices, all of which measure different stages of the transaction.
Key facts
- Rightmove measures asking prices on properties newly listed for sale on its platform.
- Halifax and Nationwide track approved mortgage applications, which sit 1 to 2 months after listing.
- HM Land Registry and ONS UK House Price Index track completed sales, which sit 3 to 5 months after listing.
- The ONS UK House Price Index is the official National Statistic for UK house prices.
- Rightmove publishes the index monthly, typically on the third Monday of the month.
What Rightmove measures
The Rightmove House Price Index covers asking prices on around 95% of UK residential properties listed for sale. The headline figure is the average asking price of properties newly listed in the index month, with month on month and year on year change. Because asking prices are set by the seller at the start of the marketing period, they are forward looking. A rise in Rightmove asking prices today does not necessarily mean a rise in completed sale prices in six months: buyers can negotiate prices down or walk away.
How Rightmove differs from Halifax and Nationwide
The Halifax and Nationwide indices each track house prices using approved mortgage offers from their respective lending books. Because a mortgage offer typically comes 4 to 8 weeks after listing, these indices lag Rightmove by about a month. They reflect what buyers have actually committed to pay subject to a successful purchase rather than what sellers initially asked. Both indices are constructed using hedonic regression methods to adjust for changes in the mix of properties sold.
How Rightmove differs from HM Land Registry and ONS
The HM Land Registry data and the ONS UK House Price Index, which is built on Land Registry transactions, measure completed sales. Completion sits 3 to 5 months after listing on average. The ONS UK House Price Index is the only one of the five that carries National Statistic status. Because it is based on completions, it is the lagging signal: it tells you what already happened, not what is about to happen. The HM Land Registry data also misses properties bought with cash that have not yet been registered, which can take longer.
How to use the Rightmove signal sensibly
Read Rightmove for direction of travel, not for absolute price levels. A four month run of rising or falling Rightmove asking prices is meaningful. A single month figure is noisy and can be moved by changes in the mix of properties listed (more rural homes priced higher, or fewer London flats priced lower). For first time buyers and remortgage candidates, the Bank of England effective mortgage rate and the published two and five year fixed rates from major lenders are the more important price signal, because they determine monthly cost.
Important
This article explains UK house price indices and is not personalised property or mortgage advice. House purchase decisions depend on personal circumstances, mortgage affordability and the property itself. Speak to an FCA authorised mortgage adviser before committing.
Common questions
Why do Rightmove and the ONS UK HPI show different numbers?
They measure different stages of the transaction. Rightmove captures asking prices on new listings. The ONS measures completed sales. The two will diverge whenever the market is moving quickly, because asking and completed prices reflect different points in time.
Which UK house price index is the official one?
The ONS UK House Price Index is the official National Statistic for UK house prices. It is built on HM Land Registry transactions and is published monthly with a roughly two month lag.
When is the Rightmove House Price Index released?
Typically on the third Monday of each month. Rightmove also publishes a weekly snapshot of asking prices alongside its monthly index.
