New analysis from property website Zoopla has revealed strong buyer demand across the country, although the property portal says market conditions vary across the regions.
“After a sluggish end to 2025 it is positive to see a strong rebound in buyer demand over the first weeks of the year across all parts of the country,” Zoopla executive director Richard Donnell said.
“Growing numbers of homes for sale is evidence of a strong underlying appetite to move home for many households. Market conditions vary widely across the UK, and sellers looking to move home in 2026 need to take this into account when planning their home move.”
January saw the most homes for sale at the start of the year for eight years, which Zoopla says highlights a continued desire amongst homeowners to move home.
“This year started with an average of 32 homes for sale per agent – the highest level in early January since 2018. However, not all these homes are brand new to the market,” Zoopla said.
A third (33%) were previously listed in 2025 and have been brought back to market following the uncertainty that reduced market activity over the final quarter of 2025.
More supply is boosting choice for home buyers and keeping price inflation in check across southern England, where prices are lower by up to 1% in the last year. Across other regions of the UK, supply is broadly the same as last year which is generating a degree of scarcity. “This is supporting price inflation with house prices higher by up to 3% in the North West,” Zoopla said.
Zoopla’s data shows a strong rebound in buyer demand post-Christmas, in line with previous years and tracking in line with the early weeks of 2024.
Although the rebound is 10% behind the strong start to 2025, thanks to the stimulus of stamp duty relief and lower mortgage rates, at the start of 2026 buyer demand is over 20% ahead of the start to 2023 and the pre-pandemic years (2017-2019). This shows a sustainable increase which Zoopla expects to increase further in the coming weeks, and will support continued growth in housing sales over 2026.
London and South East register the most homes for sale compared to a year ago, with London up 16% and the South East up 9%. Southern regions were most impacted by budget uncertainty, stalling sales in the final months of 2025.
“Across much of southern England, there is a much greater choice of homes for sale,” Donnell explained.
“Buyers are price-sensitive and have more choice, so achieving the best result depends on setting a competitive asking price and attracting early interest. Homes priced too high often take longer to sell and at the risk of achieving a lower price. It is important that homeowners price carefully and seek the advice of agents to plan the right strategy for their home sale.
“Across the rest of the country there is a degree of scarcity, but sellers need to remain realistic over pricing. The market is stable rather than booming. Buyers are active but careful, which means pricing correctly from the outset is crucial. Homes that are well-presented and realistically priced continue to sell, while those priced optimistically will take longer and may need price reductions to attract interest.”
