Having had the opportunity to reflect on yet another year that has flown by, it certainly hasn’t been dull! The early months were marked by high buyer and seller activity driven by the impending stamp duty changes.
This sense of urgency led to increased transaction volumes, resulting in a significant number of individuals relocating to new properties within the initial quarter. Subsequently, as the market stabilised following this bustling period, a positive trend emerged at the half year point, detailing a 7% increase in new properties listed and 5% increase in agreed sales across the SO32 postcode, when compared with the same period in 2024.
As we transitioned into the summer season, the abundance of properties on the market created an imbalance in supply and demand, tilting it in favour of buyers. Consequently, sellers had to strategically price their homes to generate interest, evidenced by over 400 properties having undergone price reductions since the beginning of the year. The traditional autumnal momentum of the market without doubt softened, particularly given the heightened media build up to the November budget, and the indecision this caused amongst buyers and sellers is reflected by a nearly 10% reduction in new properties listed across August, September and October (when compared to same period 2024).
As we anticipate 2026, my predominant sentiment is one of optimism. In consideration of the subdued market in the latter part of 2025, it is my view that this will produce a "bottleneck" effect leading to pent-up demand and significant momentum in the coming year. Furthermore, it is my belief values will still remain sensitive in-line with economic concerns. Fundamentally if you are committed to moving in 2026 then the key to this will be to have your home marketed to an exceptional standard, given honest and transparent advice and a team of estate agents that are beyond committed to delivering for you.
Alistair Jones
Branch
