Monetary policy and house price heterogeneity: Evidence from the U.K

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of monetary policy shocks on regional house prices in the U.K. The empirical results indicate significant heterogeneity in the impact of monetary policy on regional house prices. Focusing on the source of heterogeneity, the paper suggests a demand-side factor to be a major driver. The regions with relatively affordable housing exhibit higher sensitivity to monetary policy than those with less affordable housing. The prevailing view that region-specific housing supply constraints and regional housing supply elasticity are responsible for the heterogeneous response of regional house prices to monetary policy shocks is not confirmed by the empirical findings.