Welcome to the June 2025 edition of the OnTheMarket Property Sentiment Index, where we explore how home movers are feeling about the property market, supported by data from our own platform.
With the conclusion of the Stamp Duty holiday and ongoing challenges to meet the Government’s housing targets,the UK property market continues to be a hot topic in 2025. Our Property Sentiment Index shows some scepticism amongst the public, with house prices expected to increase and very few believing the government are likely to meet their new homes targets. However, confidence is high when it comes to the time taken to move house, with the majority expecting to sell a property, buy a property or rent a property within six months.
Sentiment towards the property market
Sales market expectations
Looking ahead to the next 12 months, 51% of respondents anticipate house prices will rise, while 21% expect them to remain stable and 10% foresee a decline. This would mean a continued price rise. Data published by the government on 14 June shows thatin the 12 months to April 2025,the average house price increased by 3.5% to £265,000.
Seller expectations
Among those with a property to sell, confidence is relatively high with the majority anticipating a timely sale. Our data shows that 39% of sellers expect to secure a buyer within the next three months and an additional 36% believe their property will sell within three to six months. Notably, only 4% of sellers anticipate thatit will take over a year to receive an offer.
Buyer outlook
Buyers also have a generally positive outlook on the homebuying process. Among respondents looking to purchase a property, 27% expect to find and secure a property within three months, while an additional 28% expect to do so within three to six months. Only 7% anticipate that the process will take more than a year.
Financial confidence
Encouragingly, 70% of property seekers feel either very (44%) or fairly (26%) confident about raising the necessary funds for a purchase, with only 17% expressing a lack of confidence.
New Homes
Interest in new build homes is strong with nearly half ofrespondents expressing some level ofinterest, with 21% saying they are very likely and 25%
saying they are somewhat likely to consider a new home. In contrast, 37% say they are either somewhat or very unlikely to consider this option.
Rental market sentiment
Rental prices expectations reflect the lack of supply and increasing deman with 66% of respondents anticipating rental costs will increase in the next 12 months, while 16% expect them to remain stable and only 4% foresee a decrease.
Renter outlook
Despite this, property seekers looking to rent are confident in their ability to secure a property promptly with over half (51%) believing they’ll find and secure a property within three months. Another 27% expect the process to take between three and six months and just 9% anticipate the search to take longer than six months.
Current events and policy development
Housing targets
Since the Labour Party’s election in July 2024, a key commitment has been to deliver 1.5 million new homes by 2029. However, confidence in this pledge is limited with only 26% believing the goal is achievable and 49% consider it unlikely to be met.
Stamp Duty Land Tax holiday ends
The conclusion of the Stamp Duty Land Tax holiday has resulted in mixed experiences for property seekers regarding the number of available listings appearing in their search results. While 39% reported no change in the number of available listings,these numbers were larger on a regional scale with 51% of respondents in Scotland and 46% in Wales reporting no change. Whereas 20% observed an increase in listings with 23% of respondents in the East Midlands (23%) and London (26%). In contrast, 25% noticed a decrease in the number of properties availability with this being observed the most by respondents in the East of England (30%) and the South West (28%) .
Renters’ Rights Bill
Currently progressing through parliament,the proposed Renter’s Rights Bill aims to enhance protections for private renters. However, public awareness remains limited with 37% of respondents having never heard of it and 33% being aware oftheBill but not knowing anything about it. Only 8% of respondents claim to know a lot about the Bill and the remaining 22% say they know a fair amount.
While confidence in housing policy outcomes is mixed, property seekers remain broadly optimistic about their personal prospects in the market, especially when it comes to selling, buying, or securing rental accommodation within a reasonable timeframe.
We’ll continue to monitor shifts in sentiment and market activity in the months ahead and provide updated insights in our next edition. Keep reading for insights from OnTheMarket’s data and comments from agents around the country on their experiences overthe lastfew months.
Insights from the OnTheMarket website
Keywords
The keywords feature helps buyers and renters find homes that match their exact needs.
Over the past three months, outdoor spaces have proven especially popular with home buyers, with searches for”garden” and “large garden” appearing frequently. Parking is another must-have, with terms like “off-street parking,””driveway,” and “garage” often
used.
For renters, while some priorities differ, gardens and parking still rank highly. Renters alson focus on practical concerns like pet permissions and whether furniture or bills are included.
Property types
One ofthe most used filters is property type, helping users narrow results to what suits them best—whether that’s a detached house,terraced home, or even a mobile home.
Price reductions: steady trends
Despite speculation around policy changes such as the end of the Stamp Duty holiday, price reductions have remained stable. In the month leading up to 1 June 2025, 13% of properties on the site had their prices reduced – similar to previous months.
New instructions: steady growth on site
Since January,the platform has seen a consistent month-on-month increase in new instructions, with a notable 15.8% rise between February and March. Rental listings have also followed this upward trend, growing significantly over the same period with a 12.7% increase in new rental properties added.
Insights from OnTheMarket agents
David Corrie, Head of Residential Agency, Galbraith
“We have witnessed buyer confidence improving in the market due to falling interest rates and therefore mortgage rates coming down, allowing people to re-engage and make a move. Notably, first time buyers coming through have helped stimulate the market with lending in place and not being reliant on a sale to move forward.
Rural Scotland offers a superb work-life balance, beautiful scenery and good value for money compared with many other parts of the UK. The small holdings market has been notably active with many selling well at a competitive closing date. Demand does remain strong for properties with a sizable portion of land, be it for extra privacy, growing your own produce, equestrian lovers with space for stables, or many who run a rural business from home and require land to do so.
Spring and early summer is a naturally active time of the year, spurred on by the favourable weather we experienced throughout May. This has encouraged sellers to get their property ready for the summer market and as such we are witnessing signs of a promising market ahead.”
Matt Thompson, Head of Residential Sales, Chestertons
Commenting on sales in London:
“In April, some house hunters paused their search amid the Easter holidays but were quick to resume their activity in May which was further driven by the Bank of England’s decision to cut interest rates to 4.25% and a number of sub 4% mortgage products. As sellers also remained motivated,the market experienced an uplift in the number of properties being put up for sale which contributed to a steady volume of agreed sales throughout May and June.”
Adam Jennings, Head of Lettings, Chestertons
Commenting on lettings market in London:
“Overall,the UK’s rental market remains highly competitive as a growing population results in a continuous requirement for suitable housing. Whilst some areas ofthe UK may have witnessed an adjustment in supply or demand levels as well as rental inflation,the majority of cities and particularly London, still see a single property attract several tenant enquiries. Despite occasional marketfluctuations, demand will likely always outweigh supply which can result in a challenging property search for tenants. In fact, based on 2025 market trends this summer may be the most competitive we have seen for many years. ”
Michael Peacock, Head of Chase Buchanan
“In the first half of 2025,the South West of England’s property market has been characterised by a mix of challenges and opportunities. House Price trends have seen modest growth, with the average property price around £356,000 between May 2024 and April 2025. The market has also experienced an increase in homes for sale, with 21% more properties available compared to the previous year, giving buyers an abundance of choice.
As a result, when entering the market,the asking price needs to be set at a realistic level.Recent reductions in interest rates, which have eased affordability pressures by making sub-4% mortgage deals more accessible have boosted activity and with rents remaining high,there has been a significant increase in first time buyers entering the market.
Lifestyle changes, such as remote working opportunities, continue to attract people to the region.”
Methodology
Between Friday 30 May and Saturday 7 June 2025, over 3,000 active property seekers who have recently signed up for property alerts or sent a property enquiry at OnTheMarket participated in our survey. This group represents engaged individuals currently navigating the UK property market. Breaking respondents down into:
- 2,399 are actively looking for a property to buy
- 1,660 have a property to sell
- 2,230 are actively looking for a property to rent
Data on keywords, property types, new instructions and reduced properties is drawn from OnTheMarket’s data compiled from thousands of estate agent branches and housebuilders who list their properties with OnTheMarket every month.
For all enquiries please contact Amelia Collins (acollins@onthemarket.com)
