NI Housing Market Update: Q2 2025

Published 23 Jul 2025

Introducing the Q2 2025 edition of our Northern Ireland Housing Market Update, where we examine the latest trends and developments in the Northern Ireland housing market. 

The Northern Ireland housing market continued on a strong footing through the second quarter of the year, with over 7,100 home sales between April and June. This is up 12% compared with the same period in 2024.

As well as more sales, residential properties also reached ‘sale agreed’ four days faster than in the April to June period last year.

Price growth also strengthened, with the average house price in Northern Ireland increasing by 8.9% on an annual basis to just over £230,000. Breaking the figures down by council area, Derry City & Strabane experienced the highest average price rise at 14.5% over the year.

In the rental market, the average rent reached £976 per month in the quarter, an increase of 7.3% on last year, and interest remained strong, with an average of 57 enquiries for each advertised rental property.

Jordan Buchanan, Chief Executive Officer at PropertyPal commented on the housing market:

Northern Ireland’s housing market continued to perform strongly through the second quarter of the year, with activity levels and price growth both ahead of long-term trends. There were approximately 7,100 newly agreed sales between April and June, which is around 3% above the long-run average. Properties are also selling more quickly, with the average time to secure a buyer now just 38 days, down from 42 this time last year, and well below the longer-term average of 50 days.

This strength is reflected in buyer activity across PropertyPal too, with search volumes up 12% year-on-year and enquiries per advertised property increasing by 3%. This sustained demand has contributed to continued growth in house prices, with the average home now valued at around £230,000, up 8.9% over the past 12 months.

Price growth in Northern Ireland is the highest across all UK regions, with recent Nationwide figures showing a similar trend, in contrast to the more modest 2.9% growth across the wider UK market.

While economic uncertainty and some softening in labour market conditions may temper momentum slightly, household finances remain in relatively good shape. The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent plans to ease lending restrictions, alongside the prospect of further interest rate cuts later this year, should support affordability and help maintain activity in the months ahead.

Jordan Buchanan, Chief Executive Officer at PropertyPal commented on the rental market:

The rental market has seen some encouraging shifts in recent months, with supply levels up 16% year-on-year and key demand-side indicators showing signs of softening. While this is a positive step for the long-term sustainability of the sector, the market still remains imbalanced, with demand well above historic norms.

On average, there are now 57 enquiries per advertised rental property, more than double the long-term average, though notably down from the peak of over 100 enquiries a couple of years ago. It currently takes around 37 days to find a tenant, slightly longer than this time last year. The average rent now stands at £976 per month, a 7.3% annual increase and a 1.7% rise in the last quarter.

Looking ahead, continued growth in the sales market, supported by more favourable borrowing conditions, is expected to provide more options for prospective buyers, which in turn should help to ease pressure on the rental sector. While headline rents are likely to continue rising, we expect the pace of growth to moderate over the remainder of the year.

The areas of Northern Ireland with the most properties sale agreed in Q2 2025 were:

• Botanic, Belfast: 223
• Titanic, Belfast: 206 
• Ormiston, Belfast: 195 
• Lisnasharragh, Belfast: 173 
• Newtownards: 172 
• Lurgan: 169 
• Bangor Central: 169 
• Craigavon: 160 
• Ballyclare: 153 
• Castle, Belfast: 151