Worrying new statistics reveal that almost a quarter of home sellers are no longer intending to move in the near future.

And a further 27% say they still plan to sell but are far less certain than they were at the start of the year, according to research by comparison platform GetAgent.

Some 17% prepared their property for sale, while 16% had spoken to an estate agent and the same proportion had begun searching for an onward purchase.

A further 13% had requested a valuation, 12% had already listed their home, and 11% had reached the stage of hosting viewings. Now, however, only 8% have agreed a sale.

Plan change

The most common reason for the change of plan is a lack of buyer engagement, with 23% saying they had not received an offer and 18% reporting few or no viewings.

Around 17% of sellers say they are worried about the increased cost of their onward purchase, while 16% point to wider economic uncertainty, including inflation.

Of those who are no longer proceeding immediately, 31% say they expect to re-enter the market later this year, while 29% are now planning to sell in 2027. Meanwhile, 40% are unsure about when they will resume their move.

GetAgent commissioned a survey of 1,011 property vendors who had intended to list their property in January.

What we’re seeing here is not a lack of intent from sellers, but a hesitation driven by uncertainty.”

Colby Short, Co-Founder and CEO of GetAgent (pictured), says: “What we’re seeing here is not a lack of intent from sellers, but a hesitation driven by uncertainty and a more challenging market environment.

“Many homeowners have already taken meaningful steps towards selling, but with softer buyer activity, affordability pressures and wider economic uncertainty, they’re choosing to pause rather than push ahead.”

Last week, research by GetAgent revealed that estate agents were facing a growing backlog of unsold homes.

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