The average value of second-hand homes in the Republic rose by almost 7 per cent in 2025, as supply remained constrained and inflation was resilient, new data showed.
Estate agent , said the average cost of a second-hand home in the State was 6.8 per cent higher in 2025. Although the rate moderated somewhat from the 7.2 per cent increase recorded in 2024, continued imbalance in demand and supply was inflating prices.
There was particularly strong growth in house prices in the Border region, where values rose by 11.1 per cent, while in the southeast prices rose by 9.4 per cent over the same period.
There was a more significant decline, however, in the Dublin area, where residential values were 5.8 per cent higher year on year. That compared with 7.1 per cent growth in 2024, and an average rise of 8 per cent outside the capital during 2025.
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“The continued price growth recorded in 2025 highlights the persistent imbalance between housing supply and demand,” said Marian Finnegan, chief executive of Sherry FitzGerald.
“The notably stronger growth outside Dublin reinforces the need for the delivery of homes across all tenures and in all regions of the country.”
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Housing supply has continued to lag demand across the new and second-hand markets. In the first nine months of the year, about 35,100 housing transactions were completed by buyers, a 3.4 per cent rise year on year.
However, the growth was driven mainly by new home sales, which increased by 19.3 per cent. The data showed second-hand homes were broadly stable at 27,256 transactions, down 0.4 per cent compared with 2024.
There was also a marked decline in investor activity, hitting more than a decade low, with that cohort accounting for only 8 per cent of the second-hand home sales handled by Sherry FitzGerald during the year. Meanwhile, investors accounted for 30 per cent of sellers handled by Sherry FitzGerald.
Ms Finnegan noted planned changes to the rental market from early next year for the rate of investors exiting the market.
“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,” she said.
Although there were signs of improvement in planning in 2025, housing commencements were lower year on year, a situation that is expected to have an impact on housing completions from 2026.
The property company said a substantially higher level of permissions must be granted to meet demand in the future, along with housing starts.
