Irish Housing Stock Rises as Asking Price Growth Halves, Daft Report Shows

Ireland’s residential property market is undergoing a structural shift as housing stock rises by 12.5% to 13,800 second-hand homes nationally, while the annual growth rate of asking prices almost halved to 3% in September compared to 5.8% a year earlier, according to the latest Q3 sales report from property website Daft.

The Bottom Line

• National asking prices averaged €445,000 between July and September, sitting 44% above pre-COVID levels but still 7.5% below the Celtic Tiger peak.
• Selling prices rose by just 0.8% annually in September, marking the slowest rate of increase recorded since 2020.
• The pricing gap between initial listings and final transaction values narrowed to 2.6% nationally, down from 6.8% a year earlier.

Diverging Regional Momentum and Inventory Realities

The latest data from daft.ie highlights a fragmented marketplace where national averages mask distinct regional trends. While overall inventory has climbed to 13,800 units compared to the same period in 2025, total supply remains roughly half of the pre-pandemic norm of more than 26,000 listings. Yearly asking price growth during the July-to-September window varied sharply by geography, with major cities outside the capital recording faster gains than Dublin. Waterford led regional growth with an 11% increase, while Cork, Galway, and Limerick posted a 6% rise. By contrast, asking price growth in Dublin reached 2.7%.

Selling prices mirrored this cooling trajectory. Actual transaction prices rose by 0.8% year-on-year in September, representing the most restrained appreciation rate since 2020. Meanwhile, the discount or premium separating initial list prices from closing figures—a key indicator of market heat—contracted to 2.6% nationally. This narrow spread is down significantly from 6.8% twelve months prior and marks the tightest margin since 2023.

Shifting Buyer Demand Across Urban Centers

Ideally, price pressures would ease because second-hand supply has finally recovered after collapsing during the pandemic. However, looking at previously owned properties specifically, the data demonstrates the exact opposite: the volume of housing entering the market has remained unchanged over a three-year span.

What has changed is how quickly those homes sell. Buyer interest has partially migrated toward newly constructed properties outside of the capital, whereas transactions for both new builds and pre-owned houses experienced declines within Dublin. This particular trend serves as the most definitive indicator of cooling purchaser interest, providing an essential metric to monitor over the upcoming months.

Ireland Housing Market Indicators (Q3 Daft Report)

Metric	Current Value (Q3)	Previous Period Comparison
National Average Asking Price	€445,000	+44% vs. Pre-COVID / -7.5% vs. Celtic Tiger Peak
Second-Hand Stock Nationally	13,800 units	+12.5% YoY (vs. 2025)
Annual Asking Price Inflation	3.0%	Down from 5.8% YoY
Annual Selling Price Inflation	0.8% (September)	Slowest rate of increase since 2020
List-to-Transaction Price Gap	2.6%	Down from 6.8% YoY

Evaluating the Broader Economic Trajectory

The stabilization of list-price inflation at 3% indicates that the rapid post-pandemic acceleration in Irish property values is reaching a plateau. With asking prices positioned 44% above pre-COVID benchmarks, affordability constraints continue to shape buyer participation. The contraction of the list-to-transaction price gap to 2.6% shows that sellers have lost the aggressive pricing advantage that characterized previous quarters.

As the market adjusts through the close of Q3, stakeholders are monitoring whether flat second-hand inventory flows will persist. With demand softening visibly in Dublin across both new builds and existing properties, transaction volumes in the upcoming quarters will determine if broader pricing stability takes hold.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.