Expectations for the housing market in Wales are positive for the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Market Survey.
A net balance of 21% of surveyor respondents in Wales said that they expect an increase in the number of home sales in Q1 2026. This follows a relatively positive end to 2025 for activity with respondents pointing to an uplift in enquiries from new buyers and new instructions from sellers at the end of the year.
The outlook for prices is also relatively positive, with a net balance of 22% of respondents saying that they expect prices to increase in Q1. This follows on from a relatively flat picture for prices at the end of 2025.
Welsh respondents are also positive for 2026 as a whole. Whilst the outlook for prices is flat over the year, a net balance of 25% of respondents expects the sales activity to be higher at the end of this year.
Commenting on the sales market, Anthony Filice, FRICS of Kelvin Francis in Cardiff, said:
“With competitive mortgage rates, first time buyers are seeking to buy instead of renting and a satisfactory number of sales are being agreed. Many vendors have been waiting to January though to list their properties.”
Regarding the rental market, he added:
“Rental properties in the lower rent ranges are letting swiftly, but, in the upper ranges are taking longer to attract tenants. Senior landlords are offloading their properties because of increasing changes in rental laws and tax increases.”
Commenting on the UK picture, RICS Head of Market Research & Analysis, Tarrant Parsons, 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 beneath the surface.
“Near-term sales expectations have strengthened, and the twelve-month outlook has edged into more positive territory. The key test for 2026 will be whether borrowing costs ease on a sustained basis. If so, this could provide the catalyst needed to drive a recovery in buyer demand.”
