Spring 2026: More Movement. Not Necessarily Higher Prices.

Today is the first day of Spring.

Traditionally that means one thing for real estate: more property coming to market.

But this year, I'm more interested in what happens on the other side of the equation.

Are buyers finally ready to move?

Over the past few weeks, I've noticed something.

There's a little more intent in the conversations I'm having with buyers.

Not exuberance. Not FOMO. And certainly not a willingness to pay anything.

Just a growing sense of: we can't wait forever.

For some buyers, their plans have now been on hold for six months or more. They've watched the market, waited, adjusted their expectations and become accustomed to the conditions we're now operating in.

Spring is about to give those buyers something they haven't had enough of.

Choice.

More homes will come to market. Buyers who have been sitting on the sidelines will have more opportunities to act. And I think that combination could be important.

More movement. Not necessarily higher prices.

I'm not expecting Spring to suddenly deliver significant price growth.

What I do expect is more property to change hands.

After a relatively slow period, that's exactly what we want to see.

There's another interesting dynamic we're seeing when genuine competition does emerge.

Buyers can be very conservative when they're negotiating in isolation. But put two people together who genuinely want the same property and their behaviour can change remarkably quickly.

We've recently seen buyers bid beyond the levels they had indicated throughout a campaign once they were faced with genuine competition.

That's why creating competition remains so important, even in a softer market.

SELLING?

More buyers may be ready to act, but they'll also have more properties to choose from.

Simply listing in Spring isn't a strategy. Presentation, positioning and creating competition amongst the right buyers will matter enormously.

BUYING?

You're finally going to have more choice.

But don't confuse a cautious market with an absence of competition. The best properties can still attract multiple buyers.

WAITING?

This is probably the conversation I'm having most often.

Should I sell now? Should I wait? Will prices improve?

There isn't one answer for everyone.

If you're upsizing, a softer market can actually work in your favour if the property you're buying has fallen by more in dollar terms than the property you're selling.

If you're downsizing, waiting for your own property to recover also means considering what may happen to the price of the property you eventually want to buy.

Trying to perfectly time the market is incredibly difficult.

Property decisions are usually about life first and the market second.

My feeling as we enter Spring?

The market isn't about to boom. But I do think it's about to get busier.

And that's a positive step.

If you're sitting on the fence about a move, simply reply to this email and tell me what you're considering.

I'm always happy to give you my view, even if the answer is don't sell yet.