By John Halman
With the Spring market now in full swing, we’re already seeing clear signs of growing momentum in the sales market. All our offices are reporting a marked increase in new enquiries and property viewings - slightly ahead of the same period in 2025.
Valuation requests are also rising at pace, and while this hasn’t yet translated into a surge of new listings, we remain confident that this will follow as the days lengthen and the weather improves. Easter traditionally marks the peak for new properties coming to the market, and with it falling in early April this year, we expect to see activity accelerate further in the weeks ahead.
The Bank of England’s decision to hold interest rates at their February meeting has been broadly welcomed, and current indicators suggest we may see up to two rate reductions later this year as inflation is expected to ease. Interest rates remain the key barometer of housing?market activity and, historically, softer rates stimulate an increase in transactions. It is still too early to forecast the direct impact on pricing, but we are not anticipating rises beyond 2–3%, which points to a stable and predictable market for anyone considering a move.
In the rental sector, the provisions of the Renters Reform Bill come into force on 1 May, and the full implications remain to be seen. Over the past 12 months, there has been a noticeable departure of so?called “temporary landlords,” leading to a reduction in available rental stock. This shortage drove sharp increases in rental values during the past year; however, we now expect values to stabilise as affordability naturally limits further upward pressure.
What is clear is that increasing legislation, not only from the Renters Reform Bill, creates real challenges for private landlords who are not supported by a fully managed service. As a result, we have seen strong interest and growth in our managed portfolio service. My colleague Rebecca Whitehead explores this in more detail later in this issue.
We were also delighted that Gascoigne Halman once again received the Best Estate Agent Award for both Sales and Lettings in the “21+ offices” national category at the annual EA Masters Awards. For more than 36 years, our ethos has remained consistent: to manage sales and lettings with the highest levels of professionalism and personal service.
Wishing you the very best with your property choices in 2026. If we can support you with your sale, purchase or letting with advice through our award?winning team including expert Mortgage Department, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
