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Real estate agencies: 31% of accounts published on 16 September in deficit, against 19% usually
Accounts published at Companies House on Wednesday 16 September 2026, in the file covering accounts registered on Tuesday 15 September: 12,431 sets, 16 per cent of them in deficit.
Accounts classed as real estate agencies stood out on Wednesday 16 September 2026. Of the 90 that Companies House published that day, 28 reported liabilities larger than assets, 31 per cent. Across the 4,361 earlier filings from the industry the share was 18.6 per cent. That was the highest since 15 August. Across the whole file the share was 16.2 per cent, slightly below the average of earlier days.
Key points
- 12,431 sets of accounts, 15 per cent fewer than the 14,667 on the previous publishing day.
- Share in deficit: 16.2 per cent (earlier days averaged 16.7).
- Largest employer filing: THE RANDOM HOUSE GROUP LIMITED (London), 1,939 staff.
- By registered office, Brighton ran at 5 per cent in deficit across 42 filings.
Where else the industry mix moved
Behind real estate agencies, the next clearest departure was other food services: 40 per cent of 43 filings in deficit, against 23.9 per cent in its earlier filings. For property across the whole series, see Property files more accounts than any other industry, and a quarter do not balance.
| Industry | Filings | In deficit | Usually | Gap (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real estate agencies | 90 | 31% | 18.6% | +12.5 |
| Other food services | 43 | 40% | 23.9% | +15.7 |
| Sound recording and music publishing activities | 41 | 32% | 19.7% | +12.0 |
| Other building completion and finishing | 105 | 21% | 15.4% | +5.6 |
| Electrical installation | 137 | 7% | 12.2% | -5.7 |
| Other service activities n.e.c. | 279 | 13% | 17.1% | -4.2 |
Largest employer filing: THE RANDOM HOUSE GROUP LIMITED
THE RANDOM HOUSE GROUP LIMITED, registered in London, was the largest employer in the file, reporting an average of 1,939 staff against 1,616 a year earlier. In all, 49 filings reported 100 or more employees. Headcounts are as each filing states them and are shown for size only.
| Company | Industry | Registered office | Employees | Prior year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE RANDOM HOUSE GROUP LIMITED | Book publishing | London | 1,939 | 1,616 |
| PENGUIN BOOKS LIMITED | Book publishing | London | 870 | 792 |
| ATLAS PAYROLL LIMITED | Other building and industrial cleaning activities | Slough | 628 | 313 |
| SOLO SUPPORT SERVICES LTD | Social work activities without accommodation for the elderly and disabled | Nottingham | 570 | 562 |
| ZIP WORLD LIMITED | Activities of amusement parks and theme parks | Llanrwst | 558 | 572 |
| BURGER & LOBSTER RESTAURANT GROUP LIMITED | Activities of other holding companies n.e.c. | London | 443 | 437 |
| INGRAM MICRO SERVICES LTD | Repair of consumer electronics | Norwich | 402 | 432 |
| PRO-PAK FOODS LIMITED | Manufacture of prepared meals and dishes | North Yorkshire | 366 | 355 |
Volume steady at 12,431
Volume barely moved from the day before, when 14,667 sets were published. A week earlier the count was similar, at 10,996. The share in deficit, 16.2 per cent, sat close to its usual 16.7. Against their own prior year, 3,256 filings were weaker and 6,779 stronger, a mix close to normal.
Brighton stands out by registered office
Brighton registered offices accounted for 42 filings, 2 of them in deficit (5 per cent, against 18.3 per cent in the town's earlier filings). An accountant or formation agent at one address can move a town's figure. Why so many accounts come from so few towns: Where Britain files its accounts.
| Town | Filings | In deficit | Usually |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton | 42 | 5% | 18.3% |
| London | 2,360 | 19% | 20.7% |
| Hull | 52 | 6% | 15.6% |
| Chelmsford | 46 | 7% | 16.5% |
Most accounts cover years ending December 2025
5,547 sets, 45 per cent of those stating a period, were for years ending in December 2025. March 2026 accounted for 1,858; January 2026 accounted for 846. A further 689 covered periods that ended more than a year before the file was published.
A deficit here means the accounts reported net liabilities at the balance sheet date. It is not insolvency, and Companies House does not verify what is filed with it.
The 20 publishing days to 16 September
How the figures are produced, and what they cannot tell you, is on the method page. This report is part of September 2026 in summary.