The agricultural land market entered 2026 on a firmer footing than many had expected at the end of 2025. The larger national agencies broadly report a market that remains resilient rather than buoyant: Savills describes 2025 as the second most active year for publicly marketed farmland since 2018, despite a 12% fall in acreage offered, while Strutt & Parker reports that average English arable and pasture values eased only modestly in 2025 and remained strong by longer-term standards. Carter Jonas similarly notes that land values in England and Wales were stable in Q1 2026, albeit within a market that remained sensitive to wider geopolitical and economic risks.
A consistent theme from the national firms is that the market has become more selective. Well-located commercial farms and productive blocks continue to attract interest and can still command premium pricing, whereas secondary, isolated or poor-quality stock is encountering a thinner buying pool and longer marketing periods. Buyers remain active, but more price-conscious, with quality, scale, location and alternative income potential all carrying greater weight in decision-making than at the peak of the 2021–22 market.
From our own experience, this aligns with the pattern seen locally in Q1 2026. We observed an increase in enquiries in January and early February, with sentiment improving and buyer engagement strengthening as the market appeared to be regaining momentum. Since mid-February, however, confidence has become more fragile. The escalation in the Iran conflict, together with renewed concerns around inflation, energy costs and supply-chain disruption, has weighed on confidence. That wider uncertainty has not removed demand, but it has made purchasers more cautious and, in some cases, slower to commit. This caution is consistent with wider market commentary pointing to renewed volatility following the March oil price shock and to higher input-cost pressure, including fertiliser supply concerns linked to disruption in the Middle East.
Against that backdrop, the market should not be characterised as stalled. Our agency completed two land sales during Q1 2026 and retains a reasonable pipeline of transactions. In the wider market, supply has increased, and this appears to be creating more choice for buyers rather than signaling distress. Larger fi rms continue to report that demand exists for commercial farmland, particularly for sound, ring-fenced and well-situated blocks, although the market is less forgiving where assets are compromised on location, quality or lotting strategy. Overall, the balance of evidence suggests a market that is active but cautious: transactional, yet highly selective, with confi dence rather than underlying demand currently the main constraint on momentum.