Residential Property Mid-Year Market Monitor 2026

The latest SCSI Residential Market Monitor reveals that estate agents expect national property prices to increase by an average of 5% over the next 12 months. The report found that 92% of agents describe current residential property prices as expensive or very expensive, up from 84% six months ago. Just 6% consider property to represent fair value, down from 12% a year ago and 17% in 2024. Almost two-thirds of agents (64%) believe prices are increasing but will level off soon, while a further 18% believe they have peaked. The report also found that affordability challenges are intensifying for a first-time buyer couple earning a combined income of €113,000. A case study shows that while such a couple could afford a three-bedroom semi-detached home in Cork, the affordability gap in the Dublin commuter belt is up to €25,000. The report also indicates that, as smaller landlords continue to exit the rental market, ownership is concentrating among larger-scale institutional providers.