Surveyors expect UK housing market to strengthen in 2026 - Rics
By Abigail Townsend
Date: Thursday 15 Jan 2026
(Sharecast News) - House prices remained under pressure in December, a closely-watched survey showed on Thursday, but expectations for the coming months strengthened notably as surveyors became more optimistic.
According to the latest residential market survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the house price balance was -14 in December. That was unchanged on the previous month, after November's figure was revised up from -16.
A balance is the proportion of respondents reporting a rise minus those seeing a fall.
The new buyer enquiries balance was also stronger, rising to -24 from -30, although it remained in negative territory.
At -19, agreed sales were little changed on November.
Looking ahead, however, and respondents were more optimistic. The three-month sales expectation balance jumped to 22, the highest since October 2024, while the 12-month balance more than doubled to 34.
Respondents flagged the prospect of further interest rate cuts in 2026, as well as an end to the uncertainty that had weighed heavily on the market in the run up to November's Budget.
Tarrant Parsons, head of market research and analysis at Rics, said: "The UK residential market remains in a prolonged soft patch, with December's survey recording a sixth consecutive month of negative momentum in buyer enquiries.
"That said, there are tentative signs of a shift in sentiment.
"The key test for 2026 will be whether borrowing costs ease on a sustained basis."
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