Agents report rise in sales of eastern region farmland

Farmers looking for economies of scale to expand existing operations are among the most active buyers in this year’s farmland market, say local agents. The comments come following latest research from Savills that shows the East of England had more farmland publicly listed for sale in the first six months of 2026 than any other region in the UK.

Jamie Elbourn, associate in the rural agency team for Savills in Essex, said non-farming buyers also continue to provide strong competition, with many purchasers driven by rollover relief from Capital Gains Tax on business and property sales. The half-year farmland report from Savills also shows that average values have remained relatively stable despite more challenging market conditions.

Some 13,974 acres of farmland were publicly listed for sale in the East of England during the first six months of 2026, it suggests. This is a rise of 13% compared to the same period in 2025 – and the most of any region in the UK.

Overall, there were 88,100 acres of farmland publicly marketed across Great Britain in the first half of 2026, a fall of 12% year on year.

The report also shows that prime arable land in the East of England is currently trading at an average of £9,270 an acre – a drop of 1% when compared to the end of June 2025 when the average value was £9,368. The average value for Grade 3 arable land meanwhile sits at £8,785 an acre – a fall of 3.1% compared to 12 months before when the average value was £9,061 an acre.

Prime arable

Across Great Britain as a whole, prime arable values have dropped by 0.8% to an average of £9,908 an acre compared to June last year, while Grade 3 arable land has fallen by 1.1% to an average of £8,685 an acre. Variation in values is considerable – with some farmland in the region trading at £16,000 an acre and others at £9,000 an acre. Best-in-class farms continue to generate strong competition, with established farmers among the most active purchasers.

“Despite the challenges facing the sector, many purchasers continue to recognise opportunities when they arise, particularly for best-in-class properties, where on occasions competitive bidding has generated sale prices above average values. This is particularly the case when established farming businesses are competing hard for neighbouring or strategically important acres at levels that are difficult for buyers from outside the area to justify. A lot of our buyers have been farmers with a medium to long-term strategy who are looking to create economies of scale and expand their existing operations.”