Agents report highest number of new year homes since 2018
Richard Donnell at Zoopla says estate agents have on average 32 properties for sale on their books this January.
Estate agents have more homes to sell on average now than in any other January for eight years, Zoopla says.
Each agent has 32 properties on the books at the start of the year, highlighting the “early rebound” after the ‘Budget lull’ in the last few months.
The total for agents is the highest since 2018, but not all the listings are new, Zoopla says.
Around a third were previously listed and were taken off the market during the pause around the Budget in November.
Capital boom
London is seeing the biggest growth in the number of homes for sale compared to a year ago, up 16% followed by the South East at 9%.
Southern regions were most impacted by stalled sales in the final months of 2025, meaning more homes carried over into this year, the portal says.
More supply is boosting choice for home buyers and keeping price inflation in check across southern England where prices are lower by up to 1% from a year ago.
Across other regions of the UK, supply is broadly the same, with prices higher by up to 3% in the North West.
Rebound
A rebound in demand to date is tracking 10% behind the very strong start to 2025 when the ending of Stamp Duty reliefs and lower mortgage rates provided extra stimulus.
Richard Donnell, Executive Director at Zoopla (main picture), says: “Growing numbers of homes for sale is evidence of a strong underlying appetite to move home for many households.
Across much of southern England, there is a much greater choice of homes for sale.”
“Across much of southern England, there is a much greater choice of homes for sale,” he says.
“Market conditions vary widely across the UK, and sellers looking to move home in 2026 need to take this into account when planning their home move.”
