Overview
- Average asking prices rose 2.8% month on month in January, a £9,893 increase that marks the largest January rise in Rightmove’s 25-year series and the biggest monthly gain since June 2015.
- Prices now stand 0.5% higher than a year ago, recovering to levels last seen in mid‑2025 after confidence improved following autumn Budget uncertainty.
- Post‑Christmas activity surged, with buyer enquiries up 57% and new listings up 81% in the two weeks after Christmas compared with the two weeks before.
- The number of homes for sale is the highest for this time of year since 2014 and about one‑third of existing listings have had price reductions, underscoring strong competition among sellers.
- Mortgage rates have eased and are expected to remain broadly steady in the near term, while regional outcomes diverged and Hamptons reported a 0.7% fall in newly agreed rents across 2025.