Market set for boost as seller confidence returns

After a subdued 2025, the UK housing market could be heading into a more positive and energetic phase, as improving affordability and growing confidence encourage sellers to act more decisively.

According to Rightmove’s latest market outlook, asking prices across Great Britain are expected to rise by around 2% in 2026, following a modest fall last year. The portal points to improving buyer affordability, greater market stability and the return of movers who paused their plans during a prolonged period of economic and Budget-related uncertainty.

Alongside those projections, behavioural data from ValPal’s online valuation tool offers an insight into how sellers have really been behaving beneath the surface of the market.

Sellers stayed engaged, even when activity slowed

Analysis of more than 1.26 million online valuation leads and 239,428 resulting instructions during 2025 suggests that seller intent remained resilient, even as transaction volumes softened.

While many sellers delayed formally instructing an agent, a significant proportion moved quickly once they decided the time was right. Around 30% of instructions were secured within 30 days of an initial valuation request, highlighting a cohort of more committed sellers who acted decisively, even in a slower market.

At the same time, a substantial number of instructions took longer to materialise. This underlines how online valuations are often used as an early research or timing tool, allowing sellers to stay market-ready while waiting for greater confidence around affordability, pricing and wider economic conditions.

Across all valuation leads, the average time from valuation to instruction was 61 days. This figure reflects a mix of fast-moving sellers and those who required more time, including leads generated through online marketing channels such as social media, which typically follow a longer nurturing journey than direct website enquiries.

“Sellers have done their homework”

Commenting on the findings, Craig Vile, director of The ValPal Network, said the data shows that last year was less about a lack of demand and more about timing and confidence.

Many sellers were clearly active in the background, checking values and preparing, even if they were not ready to move straight away. When sellers were motivated or circumstances demanded it, they moved quickly and decisively.

As the market moves into 2026, improving affordability and greater economic clarity should help shorten decision-making timelines. The data suggests there is a sizeable group of sellers who have already done their homework and are simply waiting for the right moment to instruct.

What this could mean for early 2026

The findings support the view, shared by many market commentators, that 2025 demonstrated the underlying resilience of the UK housing market. Sellers did not disappear; many adopted a ‘wait and see’ approach, closely monitoring affordability, pricing and economic signals.

With Rightmove noting that a significant proportion of movers were waiting for clarity before progressing, early 2026 could see a release of pent-up seller activity, particularly among those who have already engaged with valuation tools and are well prepared to move.

While this does not point to a rapid return to boom conditions, it does suggest a more constructive and confident start to the year, driven by steady improvements in affordability and sentiment rather than speculation.

For agents, that could mean conversations turning into instructions more readily than they did during the stop-start conditions of 2025 — not overnight, but gradually, as confidence returns and long-standing intent begins to surface.

Want to stay one step ahead of the competition as the market hots up? Contact us at team@valpal.co.uk