The property sales market has “the largest sales pipeline in four years” and it could grow further as two in five consumers either “watch” or “are in the market” to buy, Zoopla research boss Richard Donnell has said.

But tight budgets, higher mortgage rates and increased moving costs continue to hold many potential buyers back added Donnell who expects first-time buyers to be the main driving force within the property market next year.

First-time buyers currently buy 40% of all properties and mortgage lenders have recently increased the income multipliers for these buyers from 4.5x to as high as 6.5x. And, with rents now 35% higher than they were five years ago, buying is becoming comparatively more attractive for any tenants who want to get onto the housing ladder.

The tougher challenge, says Donnell, will be getting second-steppers and upsizers moving again. Higher moving costs, especially Stamp Duty in southern regions, plus rising supply, means that “vendors must be realistic on pricing in 2026” if they want to attract buyers.

Zoopla is forecasting modest UK house price growth of 1–3% next year, with annual sales volumes holding steady at around 1.15m.