The contradictions are everywhere

There are always housing market contradictions, but I feel they are clues for what’s to come.

Rents are rising.
Confidence is falling.
Demand is high.
Builders are going bust.

If you try to make sense of it all, it doesn’t quite add up.

The UK housing market right now feels like standing in a wind tunnel; full of signals coming from every direction.
If you’re a landlord, investor, or operator, it’s hard to know which ones to tune into… and which to block out.

But within that noise, something interesting is happening.
Markets like this: unpredictable, messy, emotional; often create the best openings for people who can think clearly.

Because weird markets don’t just test you.
They reveal what you’ve actually built.

What’s true right now

Every week, I speak to landlords, developers, and founders trying to find footing in this phase of the cycle.
Their stories sound different, but the themes are the same.

Rental demand is still intense.
Properties are letting at record prices.
Supply hasn’t kept pace, and tenants are competing for well-run stock.

Landlord sentiment is split.
Some are pulling back; others are doubling down.
But even the confident ones are cautious — the tax burden and policy shifts are shaping every move.

Development is stalling.
Small and mid-sized builders are squeezed by high finance costs and planning delays.
I’ve heard from operators sitting on viable sites that can’t get out of the ground — not because they don’t want to, but because the maths has stopped working.

Policy keeps sending mixed signals.
We talk about fixing the housing crisis, yet most of what’s being introduced slows down the people actually trying to fix it.

And in the middle of all this, one gap keeps showing up — the growing space between strategy and execution.

There’s no shortage of intent right now.
Everyone wants to adapt, optimise, diversify.
But too many are doing it without systems, insight, or joined-up processes to make it stick.

The volatility isn’t the problem (it’s the landscape)

If you’re waiting for the market to “settle,” you might be waiting a while.
The volatility isn’t temporary anymore - it’s structural.

That’s uncomfortable, but it’s also useful.
Because once you stop expecting stability, you can start building for movement instead.

The people who’ll thrive over the next few years aren’t necessarily the biggest or the most funded.
They’re the ones who can flex; the operators who know how to adjust, test, and rebuild faster than everyone else.

That’s where I’ve been focusing my attention lately:
how to make property operations lighter, more transparent, and more responsive to change.

When the market keeps shifting, clarity is currency.
And that kind of clarity comes from data, discipline, and the right systems behind the scenes.

Why PropTech quietly matters more than ever

When things get messy, people reach for tools that help them see clearly.
And yet, most of what’s branded “PropTech” still feels surface-level - another dashboard, another automation, another reminder system.

But the real opportunity is deeper than that.

When the market is unpredictable, the best thing technology can give you isn’t automation.
It’s confidence.
Confidence that what you’re seeing is accurate.
Confidence that your numbers stack up.
Confidence that you can make a call and know it’s the right one.

If your tools and systems deliver that, you’ll find opportunity others miss.
If they don’t, you’ll spend half your time firefighting (I’ve certainly been there).

This isn’t about more features or fancier UX.
It’s about supporting decision-making in a world that refuses to sit still.

What this tells us

In my opinion, we’re in a market that rewards the ones who can stay calm, act deliberately, and spot patterns before everyone else.

That’s the real advantage now: seeing clearly when others can’t.

So yes, the market is weird.
But weird is where progress starts.

A question for you

What contradictions are you noticing most right now in your market, your portfolio, or your projects?
Reply and tell me what’s surprising you lately.

Thanks again for reading The PropTech Edit.
Feel free to subscribe, share, and forward this to someone who’s still waiting for the market to make sense - instead of learning how to work with it.

Melissa Lewis
Founder & CEO, ML Property Venture