The property market has seen a surge in activity this January with both buyer enquiries and seller listings picking up after a slower end to 2025, according to buying agency Recoco Property Search.
The agency reports that pent-up demand is driving one of the busiest Januarys in recent years, as buyers return following greater clarity on economic and tax matters after last year’s Autumn Budget.
Domestic and international buyers are active across the market, from first-time purchasers to upsizers and downsizers, with particularly strong interest in homes priced over £2 million.
Recent data from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) supports this view. Sales expectations over the next three months rose to +22%, the strongest reading since October 2024, while longer-term prospects are also positive: a net balance of +34% of respondents anticipate sales volumes to increase over the next 12 months – more than double November’s figure.
SLOW BUT STEADY
Nigel Bishop (main picture), Founder of Recoco Property Search, says: “For the majority of house hunters, 2025 was a challenging year to start or finalise their search amid economic and political uncertainty.
“Only after the long-anticipated Autumn Budget, when we had more clarity over tax implications, the market witnessed a slow but steady return in buyer confidence. The number of buyer enquiries started picking up in December but have only increased in January.”
INTERNATIONAL BOOM
And he adds: “Entering the market now are domestic but also international buyers, particularly from the USA, who are eager to get on with their lives and plans. We are encountering downsizers and upsizers which means smaller as well as larger homes with asking prices of £2m and above are very much in demand.
“Fortunately, sellers have been equally motivated with many having put their property on the market around Boxing Day; especially in sought-after spots such as Bath, Salisbury, Exeter and Truro.
“Supply of country homes, however, is limited as the majority of vendors are waiting for improved weather conditions that will allow them to show off their estate in the best possible setting. Until then, this segment of the market will remain particularly competitive for house hunters.”
