More property sales are falling through across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Scottish Borders - 11.72% so far in 2026, compared with a ten-year average of 7.61%. So what's behind the rise?

Paul and Megan are joined by two friends of the show, Dave Marshall (Operations Director at Warners) and Tzana Webster (Head of Estate Agency at Ralph Sayer), to dig into the story behind the headlines. They discuss why property chains have become far more common in the local area, the questions every buyer should expect to be asked about their funding, what "subject to sale" really means for your offer, and what happens - practically and financially - if a sale does fall through.

Plus: the 11-property chain that fell through twice, why buying with cryptocurrency is more possible than you might think, and the single best thing sellers can do to protect their sale.

Thinking of selling? Book a free property valuation from a solicitor estate agent here.

Timecodes:

00:00 – Intro & Scottish Podcast Awards

01:35 – Meet the guests: Dave Marshall & Tzana Webster

02:14 – What does a sale "falling through" mean in Scotland?

03:05 – The headline stat: 11.72% of sales fell through in 2026

04:09 – Why sales fall through: chains, funding and expectations

06:36 – "Magic money" - why budgets matter

08:55 – The 11-property chain that fell through twice

10:18 – Why are property chains more common now?

13:45 – Have we hit peak fall-through?

14:34 – 24 offers in Craigleith — only 3 chain-free

16:55 – Mortgage lending & source of funds

19:55 – Buying a property with cryptocurrency

20:35 – Why fall-through rates are higher outside Edinburgh

23:00 – What happens to sellers when a sale falls through?

25:16 – The four-week review & pricing strategies

28:05 – The solicitor estate agent difference

29:20 – Who pays the fees if a sale falls through?

30:28 – Should the government change the process?

34:30 – Quick fire questions

36:39 – The good news: 90% of sales don't fall through

39:39 – Free valuations & next episode