Rightmove reports a 26% rise in new property listings as sellers rush to market, with the South East leading, while buyer enquiries surge, signalling a busy 2025 ahead
Rightmove reveals ‘property boom’ and regions racing to put homes on the market. The UK housing market is achingly slowly showing signs of a new ‘property boom’, with sellers racing to list their homes. According to Rightmove , the number of new properties hitting the market has soared, signalling a busy start to 2025 and an early indication of the year’s market trends. “For sale” listings have jumped by 26% compared to this time last year.
Lots of homeowners are using the new year and post-Christmas period as a chance to take advantage of the growing demand. Rightmove’s data considers this an indicator that 2025 could be a particularly active year for both buyers and sellers. The new listings are of a variety of different properties, but it’s been noticed that there has been an increase in ‘second stepper’ homes. These three- and four-bedroom properties, often sought by growing families, made up nearly half (46%) of the new homes put on the market. Smaller homes, which are usually favoured by first-time buyers, accounted for 35% of listings, while larger, premium homes made up 18%.
There are definitely regional trends around how the property boom is developing. The South East topped the list with the highest number of new listings, followed by the East of England and the South West. These areas are racing to meet the increasing demand from would-be buyers, with many regions across the UK seeing a surge in property availability. But it’s not just sellers who are making moves. Home-hunters are also on the lookout, with queries to estate agents up by 20% compared to the same period in 2023. It seems that those keen to buy are eager to take advantage of the wider selection of homes now on the market, and Rightmove has reported record-breaking traffic levels as prospective buyers spend time trawling through listings in hopes to hit the jacket for their next big move.
Steve Pimblett, Rightmove’s Chief Data Officer, commented: “We’ve seen a record-breaking Boxing Day, not only for people turning to the Rightmove platform once the Christmas Day festivities are over, but also for home-movers taking action and getting ahead with their 2025 moves. While it’s very early days, these first indicators are positive signs for a busy start to the year for agents.” With more properties becoming available and a growing pool of motivated buyers, whether you’re looking to sell or buy, it seems the property boom is already underway.