"The average price of newly-listed homes for sale rises by 1.2% (+£4,333) in May to £378,304, exceeding the typical ten-year May increase of 1.0% and signalling a stronger than usual seasonal uplift. Housing market activity remains surprisingly confident overall despite global uncertainty and the resulting cost-of-living pressures."

"The April 2026 RICS Residential Market Survey results continue to reflect a challenging global macroeconomic backdrop, with the associated rise in interest rate expectations weighing on buyer demand. Moreover, near-term sentiment indicators suggest that these subdued conditions are set to persist over the coming months, while the outlook for the year ahead has softened noticeably."

"At the headline level, the house price indicator recorded a net balance of -34%, marking a further deterioration from the -25% reading seen last month. Regional results point to a growing divergence between the North and South, with more pronounced downward pressure on prices evident in London, the South East, East Anglia and the South West. By contrast, the North West and the North of England continue to post marginally positive readings for the time being. Meanwhile, house prices are still rising across Scotland and Northern Ireland."

"Across the UK, FTBs are looking to buy homes priced at an average of £254,7502. This is 4.3% higher than a year ago and nearly three times the headline rate of UK house price growth. Those in Scotland are seeking homes priced 8% higher than last year, and 7% higher in the West Midlands. In London, the average price of a FTB home is above £500,000 for the first time - with FTBs looking to pay £15,000 more than last year in a city where overall prices have not moved."

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.”