Why does the Land Registry property report differ from others?

As the Land Registry property report for May shows a further 0.2% reduction in UK property prices, against a 2.6% increase and a 1.2% increase as suggested by Halifax and Nationwide reports respectively, many people are totally confused as to what they should and should not take into account. So why does the Land Registry report always seem more negative than the likes of reports by Halifax and Nationwide?



One the vital thing to bear in mind is the fact that the Land Registry figures only take into account property transactions which have been completed therefore there is a significant lag between completions in May and agreements which may have been reached some weeks earlier. This in itself explains much of the difference between the various property reports being released in the UK but it does not put the minds of investors at rest.



The fact that mortgage liquidity is still relatively low in the UK is also adding to concerns in investment market at a time when investors and consumers began to show signs of increased confidence in the UK economy. Whether this latest setback will be enough to knock the potential recovery off-track remains to be seen but these very different reports are not helping the situation.