Jan 20 2026 11:14:00

Commenting on the housing market, Jordan Buchanan, Chief Executive at PropertyPal stated:

“Northern Ireland’s housing market ended the year on a strong footing, with steady sales volumes and the fastest price growth across the UK. There were approximately 5,500 newly agreed sales recorded in the quarter, broadly in line with long-term averages, and house prices have grown by 6.4% year-on-year.

“Overall sentiment has improved following increased certainty from the Winter Budget and the Bank of England’s interest rate cut in December, which has already begun feeding through to more favourable mortgage conditions. Markets continue to price in further rate reductions over the coming year, which will further support affordability.

“Overall demand remains exceptionally strong, with estate agent enquiries from PropertyPal at multi-year highs. Indeed, Q4 saw the highest volume of buyer enquiries per listing for the respective quarter since peak activity levels of 2021.

“However, supply-side constraints remain a key challenge. While it’s encouraging that 2025 saw a 6% increase in resale listings, giving buyers more choice and contributing to overall market activity, new homes supply remains well below historic norms. This continues to be a critical policy concern and will constrain growth across 2026.

“Based on current indicators, we expect continued growth in both prices and sales volumes through the early months of 2026 and across the year more generally.”