Estate agents are being told to expect a Christmas surge in the property market with a “Boxing Day Bounce” featuring millions of potential buyers.
Propertymark predicts “a launchpad” to a new housing cycle as people use the holiday period to browse potential new homes on their laptops, tablets and mobile phones.
Pivotal moment
Boxing Day is now “a pivotal moment” for the housing market, with estate and letting agents consistently reporting an uplift in enquiries, a surge in website traffic, enquiries, and early January viewing requests.
Estate agents can capitalise on the momentum, the professional body says, with new listings and marketing campaigns ready to launch during the Xmas period.
Search activity spikes, with property websites reporting some of the highest visitor numbers of the year.
Early-bird exposure
Sellers gain early-bird exposure, often attracting motivated buyers who want to move quickly in the New Year.
And renters begin planning moves around job changes, new contracts, or personal circumstances with a reset in January.
The Boxing Day Bounce gives the market a strong launchpad for the year ahead.”
Nathan Emerson, CEO at Propertymark (main picture), says: “With millions of people starting to look at property at the same time, it creates real momentum.
“Most years, Boxing Day marks the true start of the new housing cycle. Once the festive excitement has passed, people turn their attention to the year ahead, and moving home is often right at the top of that list,” he says.
“We expect to see an increase in online searches, enquiries, and valuation requests as consumers prepare to act early in 2026.
“The Boxing Day Bounce gives the market a strong launchpad for the year ahead.”
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