Data last verified: 5 November 2026. Figures re-checked against their primary sources under the Whito rolling re-verification programme.
Finding
London has 7,640 estate and letting agencies, 83.7 per 100,000 residents, about 2.7 times the rate in the rest of the UK (30.8); Northern Ireland's count is lower than in 2010 (415 to 405).
Source: Whito, whito.co.uk/estate-agents/research/uk-estate-agency-industry, 2026-11-05. Free to quote with a link to this page.
Last Updated on November 6, 2026
Short answer: the UK had 26,210 estate and letting agencies registered for VAT or PAYE in March 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics. That is 63.3% up on 2010 (16,050) and 18.4% up on 2021 (22,145). 91.9% employ fewer than ten people. London has the most per head, 83.7 per 100,000 residents; Scotland has the fewest, 18.4.
This page uses official counts you can rerun yourself, the rules that apply to the trade, and Whito’s published research. The regional and change figures are Whito’s calculations.
The key figures
| Figure | Value | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Estate and letting agencies (UK, SIC 68310) | 26,210 | ONS UK Business Counts, March 2026 (official statistic) |
| Change since 2010 | +63.3% (from 16,050) | Same dataset (Whito calculation) |
| Change since 2021 | +18.4% (from 22,145) | Same dataset (Whito calculation) |
| Fewer than 10 employees | 24,075 (91.9%) | Same dataset |
| 250 or more employees | 40 | Same dataset |
| Most per head | London, 83.7 per 100,000 residents | Whito calculation, ONS data |
| Fewest per head | Scotland, 18.4 per 100,000 residents | Whito calculation, ONS data |
How big are estate and letting agencies?
| Employees | Businesses | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 9 | 24,075 | 91.9% |
| 10 to 49 | 1,895 | 7.2% |
| 50 to 249 | 195 | 0.7% |
| 250 or more | 40 | 0.2% |
| Total | 26,210 |
Source: ONS UK Business Counts, enterprises, SIC 2007 code 68310 “Real estate agencies”, 2026, via Nomis (dataset NM_142_1). Counts are rounded to the nearest 5, so bands may not add exactly to the total.
Where estate and letting agencies are based
| Region or nation | 2010 | 2021 | 2026 | Per 100,000 residents | Change 2010 to 2026 | Change 2021 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 4,195 | 6,445 | 7,640 | 83.7 | +82.1% | +18.5% |
| South East | 2,650 | 3,455 | 3,920 | 40.4 | +47.9% | +13.5% |
| East of England | 1,690 | 2,175 | 2,645 | 40.0 | +56.5% | +21.6% |
| South West | 1,445 | 1,840 | 2,030 | 34.4 | +40.5% | +10.3% |
| North West | 1,365 | 1,890 | 2,390 | 30.7 | +75.1% | +26.5% |
| West Midlands | 1,085 | 1,530 | 1,885 | 30.4 | +73.7% | +23.2% |
| East Midlands | 840 | 1,190 | 1,450 | 28.5 | +72.6% | +21.8% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 870 | 1,230 | 1,545 | 27.2 | +77.6% | +25.6% |
| Wales | 465 | 615 | 685 | 21.6 | +47.3% | +11.4% |
| North East | 370 | 495 | 595 | 21.5 | +60.8% | +20.2% |
| Northern Ireland | 415 | 405 | 405 | 21.0 | -2.4% | 0.0% |
| Scotland | 665 | 875 | 1,020 | 18.4 | +53.4% | +16.6% |
| United Kingdom | 16,050 | 22,145 | 26,210 | 37.7 | +63.3% | +18.4% |
Population: ONS mid-2025 estimates. Per-head and change figures are Whito calculations. A business is counted once, where it is registered, which is not always where it works.
What stands out
- London has about 4.6 times as many per head as Scotland (83.7 against 18.4 per 100,000 residents).
- Fastest growth since 2010: London (+82.1%). Slowest: Northern Ireland (-2.4%).
- Every region has more businesses than in 2021.
- The data cannot say why counts rise or fall. New firms, firms crossing the VAT threshold, mergers, closures and businesses registering elsewhere all move the count.
Rules that apply
Estate agents and letting agents in England must belong to a government-approved redress scheme, such as The Property Ombudsman (TPO) or the Property Redress Scheme. National Trading Standards provides a free Property Agent Checker that shows whether an agent belongs to one.
The Property Ombudsman had 19,321 offices and branches registered in 2025 (TPO annual review 2025).
The government published a home buying and selling reform roadmap on 19 June 2026: a voluntary code of practice for agents in 2026 and a consultation on mandatory qualifications in 2027 to 2028, with no new regulator. For lettings, new tenant rights under the Renters’ Rights Act applied from 1 May 2026.
What Whito’s research adds
<strong>AI assistants rarely agree on an estate agent.</strong> On 17 August 2026 Whito asked ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode for the best estate agent in six UK cities. They named 60 agencies across 86 recommendation slots, and only 37% of those agencies were named by more than one engine. See Which estate agents does AI recommend?
What we do not know yet
- How many people work in the trade. This page counts businesses, not workers.
- The smallest sole traders. Businesses that are neither VAT registered nor employers are not in the ONS count.
- Turnover. We only publish figures we can check at source.
Method and limits
- Business counts: ONS UK Business Counts, enterprises, SIC 2007 code 68310, all legal statuses, March 2026 snapshot, with 2010 and 2021 for comparison, via the Nomis API (dataset NM_142_1), read 5 November 2026.
- Population: ONS mid-2025 estimates via Nomis (NM_2002_1).
- Counts are rounded to the nearest 5 by ONS. Business counts are March 2026; population is mid-2025.
Compare with other industries: see UK trade businesses in 2026: ten industries compared, one table with each count, its date and the change since 2010 and 2021.
Common questions
How many estate and letting agencies are there in the UK?
26,210 registered for VAT or PAYE in March 2026, according to the ONS (SIC 68310).
Is the number of estate and letting agencies growing?
It rose 18.4% between 2021 and 2026 and rose 63.3% since 2010 (Whito calculation from ONS data).
Which part of the UK has the most estate and letting agencies?
By number, London (7,640). Per head, London, with 83.7 per 100,000 residents.
Are most estate and letting agencies small?
Yes. 24,075 of 26,210 (91.9%) employ fewer than ten people.
Sources (opened 5 November 2026)
- ONS UK Business Counts via Nomis, NM_142_1: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_142_1
- ONS mid-2025 population estimates via Nomis, NM_2002_1
- National Trading Standards, Property Agent Checker: https://www.nationaltradingstandards.uk/property-agent-checker/
- TPO annual review 2025: https://www.tpos.co.uk/2026/03/renters-rights-effect-drives-unprecedented-demand-dispute-resolution/tpo-annual-review-2025/
- GOV.UK, home buying and selling reform roadmap (19 Jun 2026): https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/home-buying-and-selling-reform/outcome/home-buying-and-selling-reform-roadmap
- GOV.UK news, Renters’ Rights Act (20 Mar 2026): https://www.gov.uk/government/news/landlords-now-to-fulfil-new-legal-duty-for-renters-rights-act
If your business is named here and you think we have a fact wrong, email hello@whito.co.uk and we will check it and correct it. If you want to respond, send us a statement and we will publish it alongside. Full detail: Corrections, right of reply and removals.
