Microsoft Outage Disrupts UK Property Sector Communications
Microsoft restored services after a global outage disrupted communications for UK estate agents and lenders, forcing firms to use manual workarounds to complete house sales.
A global outage of Microsoft services on Friday, November 13, 2026, disrupted communications for UK estate agents, lenders, and conveyancers. The failure affected email systems during a critical window for home completions, though many professionals avoided delays by using telephones, manual communication, and purpose-built online portals that remained operational.
Property firms and lenders implemented immediate workarounds to maintain business continuity. Acorn Group coordinated internal teams to minimize client impact, while MT Finance utilized backup internal communication plans to keep operations running. Hamptons reported that it was able to operate largely as business as usual despite the disruption.
Representatives from the National Association of Estate Agents Propertymark noted that while email is integral to the industry, the downtime caused unexpected stress for those on their moving day. Microsoft reported that services were being gradually restored throughout the afternoon. Data from Rightmove indicated that the outage coincided with a date that is typically the quietest of the month for home completions, as many buyers and sellers traditionally avoid moving on Friday the 13th.
