“Irish Second-Hand Home Prices rise 6.8% in 2025 as growth moderates but supply pressures persist”
Statement by Marian Finnegan, CEO, Sherry FitzGerald.
Sherry FitzGerald, Ireland’s largest estate agency, today announced that the average value of second-hand homes nationwide increased by 6.8% in 2025. While this represents a moderation from the 7.2% growth recorded in 2024, price inflation remains resilient.
In Dublin, residential values rose by 5.8% over the year, compared with annual growth of 7.1% in 2024. Outside the capital, prices increased by an average of 8.0%, with particularly strong growth recorded in the Border and South-East regions, where values rose by 11.1% and 9.4% respectively.
Commenting on the findings, Marian Finnegan, CEO, Sherry FitzGerald, said: “The continued price growth recorded in 2025 highlights the persistent imbalance between housing supply and demand. The notably stronger growth outside Dublin reinforces the need for the delivery of homes across all tenures and in all regions of the country.”
During the first nine months of 2025, approximately 35,100 housing transactions were completed by household buyers, representing a 3.4% increase compared with the same period in 2024. This growth was driven primarily by new home sales, which rose by 19.3%, equating to an additional 1,271 transactions year-on-year. In contrast, second-hand home sales remained broadly stable, with 27,256 transactions recorded, a marginal decline of 0.4% compared with 2024.
Investor participation in the residential market continued to decline in 2025. Investors accounted for just 8% of Sherry FitzGerald’s second-hand home sales during the year, the lowest proportion recorded since 2011. At the same time, investor exits remain a significant feature of the market, with 30% of vendors selling being investors.
Ms Finnegan noted: “Planned changes to the rental system from March next year have once again resulted in unintended consequences. While the reforms provide greater clarity for tenants and larger landlords, many smaller landlords are exiting the market at pace, further exacerbating the supply shortage within the rental sector.”
The planning pipeline showed signs of improvement in 2025, with the number of units granted planning permission in the first nine months of the year increasing by 4.9% compared with 2024. However, housing commencements were weaker, following the surge in activity recorded in the previous year. This surge aligned with the expiry of the development levy waiver and water charge rebate, and its impact is expected to be reflected in housing completions from 2026.
Looking ahead, forthcoming reforms to the planning and judicial review systems should support stronger planning permission activity in 2026. However, to meet underlying demand, a substantially higher level of permissions must be granted, and more units must progress to commencement in the years ahead.
Ms Finnegan concluded: “2025 has seen meaningful progress by Government to improve housing delivery, particularly through the publication of new housing and infrastructure plans. Nevertheless, the housing emergency persists, and 2026 will be a critical year in assessing the effectiveness of recent legislative and policy reforms.”
-ENDS-
For further information, please contact:
Jill O’Neill
Director of Marketing & PR
Sherry FitzGerald Group
Ph: +353 86 252 3277
