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UK Starts 2026 With Largest Early-January Housing Inventory Since 2018

Rebounding demand still trails 2025, leaving many southern markets tilted toward buyers.

Overview

  • Zoopla’s December 26–January 11 snapshot shows the average estate agent began the year with 32 homes for sale, the highest early-January level in its data since 2018.
  • The supply surge is concentrated in London, up 16% year on year, and the South East, up 9%, with a degree of scarcity reported elsewhere.
  • Roughly one third of listings were carried over from 2025 after Budget-related uncertainty slowed transactions late last year.
  • Buyer enquiries are about 20% higher than early 2023 but remain roughly 10% below the strong start to 2025.
  • Greater choice is tempering prices in southern England, where values fell by up to 1% over the past year, and agents advise competitive pricing as Knight Frank notes fragile sentiment and projects around 3% price growth in 2026.