‘This year’s shaping up to be very good indeed’ says estate agency boss
Buyer demand is up compared to last year as the market ‘shifts through the gears,’ according to research by hybrid estate agency EXP UK.
The majority of UK cities have seen an increase in buyer activity so far this year when compared to the same period in 2024, with Newport, Leicester and Liverpool seeing the largest jump in market activity, says estate agency EXP UK boss Adam Day (pictured).
His estate agency analysed current and historical buyer demand data across 25 major UK cities to see how today’s purchasers compare.
The research shows that across the UK as a whole, buyer demand is up, with the average monthly level of buyer demand seen over the first four months of this year 2% higher compared to the same period in 2024.
Biggest increases
At 6%, Newport has seen the biggest increase in buyer market activity, whilst Leicester, Liverpool, and Newcastle have also seen notable increases, with all three cities up by 4%.
In fact, 14 of the 25 major UK cities have seen homebuyer demand levels increase in 2025, including Swansea, Sunderland, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Leeds, Cardiff, Birmingham, Sheffield, Bradford and Glasgow.
London is the only city to have seen static buyer activity compared to the first four months of last year, whilst Belfast has seen the biggest decline, with average monthly buyer demand down by 10%.
Day says: “It’s been a busy start to the year, with both reductions to interest rates and the Stamp Duty deadline driving buyer market activity.
This heightened level of market activity is set to continue, even with the increased cost of Stamp Duty incurred by some buyers.”
“As a result, agents across the majority of the UK’s cities will have been busier during the first few months of this year when compared to last, and this heightened level of market activity is set to continue, even with the increased cost of Stamp Duty incurred by some buyers.
“It’s shaping up to be a very good year indeed and we’ve already seen strong and consistent growth with respect to mortgage approvals, buyer enquiries and house price growth as the market continues to shift through the gears.”
As a wise old man once said, this is “the equivalent of asking a hairdresser if you need a haircut.”
A low-cost, high-commission business model aimed at recruiting agents isn’t likely to thrive if it requires honest discussions about current market conditions. The reality is, it’s tough out there: transactions are taking longer, price reductions are becoming more frequent, and sales are fewer. You don’t have to take my word for it—currently, the market is showing approximately 42% under offer (Rightmove live data, allowing for a potential 5% margin of error). To me, this clearly signals a challenging environment for sellers.
However, judging by the optimistic comments from the EXP representatives, they either aren’t acknowledging these realities or perhaps it’s just me seeing things differently.