"The average asking price of newly listed homes for sale is virtually flat this month, falling by just £12 (-0.0%) to £368,019. This February’s price standstill, compared with a typical 0.8% February rise over the past decade, follows a record January price jump last month. Emphasising how large January’s price increase was, the first two months of 2026 combined are still the strongest start to a year for prices since 2020, up by 2.8% since December. Price growth at the start of this year has been front-loaded more than usual due to an early-year boost in buyer and seller confidence as Budget uncertainty ended. This is supported by Rightmove’s monthly confidence tracker, which measures the sentiments of home-owners, renters, prospective first-time buyers and landlords towards the market. It shows that net confidence among buyers and sellers in January returned to its highest level since September 2025. In February, January’s price gains have held, but new sellers have refrained from further increases to prices as market realities set in. Competition among sellers remains at an eleven-year high, and buying activity is lower than at this time in 2025, after last year’s early rush to complete purchases before stamp duty charges rose in England."

"The January 2026 RICS Residential Market Survey suggests market conditions may be starting to turn a corner, with several activity-related indicators recording their least negative readings for several months. Furthermore, while near-term expectations remain relatively cautious, there is growing conviction among respondents that a recovery in sales volumes will gather momentum over the year ahead."

"When disaggregated, a widening divergence is becoming evident across different parts of the UK. In particular, Northern Ireland and Scotland continue to see house prices move higher, while respondents in the North West and the North of England report prices on an upward trajectory. By contrast, the latest net balances remain more negative than the headline average in London, the South West, the South East and East Anglia, albeit in each case to a lesser degree than last month."

"Regionally, more than half of homes for sale are cheaper to buy than rent in the North East and Scotland, followed by the North West. In contrast, higher house prices in London and the Midlands mean that fewer than 40% of homes are cheaper to buy than rent.

Tim Bannister, Property Expert at Rightmove: 4% rise

“More people choosing to make their move in 2025, teamed with lower mortgage rates, could push house prices up by 4% over the course of 2025… The big picture of market activity remains positive… which sets us up for what we predict will be a stronger 2025 in both prices and number of homes sold.”

Amanda Bryden, Head of Halifax Mortgages: 0% to +3% rise

“We expect modest house price growth in 2025, likely a little lower than this year at up to +3%… While further cuts to Bank Rate are still on the cards, the pace looks likely to be more gradual than previously anticipated… buyer demand should continue to hold up well.”

Richard Donnell, Executive Director at Zoopla: 2.5% rise

“The housing market has been resilient… Higher income growth and lower mortgage rates have helped reset housing affordability… We expect this to continue over 2025.”

Lucian Cook, Head of Residential Research at Savills: 1% rise

“Interest rates have fallen as expected, giving buyers a bit more financial capacity than they had a year ago… Greater geopolitical uncertainty… has made predicting the precise path of further cuts more challenging.”

Nick Barnes, Head of Research at Chestertons: 3.4% rise

“Chestertons forecasts that property prices will rise by 3.4% across the UK and 3% in London in 2025, supported by lower mortgage costs, modest but consistent growth for the UK economy and inflation staying around the Bank of England’s 2% target.”