The UK housing market generates more headlines than almost any other part of the economy - but often with very little clarity. Housing Unpacked cuts through the blizzard of noise and speculation to focus on what really matters: the structural forces shaping the market, the political choices behind them, the broader mood in financial markets and what that tells us about where the market is heading.
Tom Bill, Head of UK Residential Research at Knight Frank, brings together data, policy and lived market experience to tell us what’s really going on and what happens next.
Trump vs Healey: Who Holds the Key to Lower Mortgage Rates?
Tom is joined by market analyst Michael Brown to make sense of rising mortgage rates that seem to hinge on Donald Trump's next move. They discuss why UK borrowing costs are climbing again, why crude oil is no longer the main problem, but something called the crack spread is, and whether the Bank of England will raise rates on 5 November.
They also look ahead to the Budget on 28 October and the US midterms on 3 November, and what it all means for anyone weighing up whether to take a tracker mortgage or a fixed rate deal.
Subscribe (https://preferences.knightfrank.com/subscribe-to-uk-residential-outlook) to Tom Bill's UK Residential Outlook, for all the latest properties, exclusive market analysis, news and data.
Produced by Rethink Audio (https://www.rethinkaudio.com/).
25 Sept 2026
Mansion Tax and the Budget: New Chancellor, Same Smorgasbord.
Tom is joined by James Nation, former special adviser to Rishi Sunak at the Treasury, to unpack the wave of pre-Budget speculation around a lower mansion tax threshold and a possible capital gains tax rise. They discuss why this year's rumours may not be genuine Treasury trial balloons, how much financial headroom John Healey actually needs to rebuild, and which of the widely-touted tax options would truly surprise James. They also cover the prospects for Help to Buy's return, the case for extending National Insurance contributions to landlords, and what to watch for from Healey and Burnham at Labour conference next week.
Subscribe (https://preferences.knightfrank.com/subscribe-to-uk-residential-outlook) to Tom Bill's UK Residential Outlook, for all the latest properties, exclusive market analysis, news and data.
Produced by Rethink Audio (https://www.rethinkaudio.com/).
11 Sept 2026
Beyond the Middle East: What's Driving Mortgage Rates Higher?
Mortgage rates are rising again, but the conflict in the Middle East is only part of the story.
Tom Bill is joined by Helen Thomas of Blonde Money to discuss the global forces putting upward pressure on borrowing costs, from Japan's return to inflation and changes at the Federal Reserve to the financing demands of AI and growing concerns about government debt.
They also assess the outlook for the housing market and explore the difficult Budget choices facing Chancellor John Healey as Westminster returns from the summer break, with rising bond yields making an already challenging fiscal backdrop even tougher.
Subscribe (https://preferences.knightfrank.com/subscribe-to-uk-residential-outlook) to Tom Bill's UK Residential Outlook, for all the latest properties, exclusive market analysis, news and data.
Produced by Rethink Audio (https://www.rethinkaudio.com/).
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