A £100bn opportunity: recovery in sales market drives strongest pipeline in 4 years

The sales market has seen a steady recovery in sales over the last two years as mortgage rates stabilise and more sellers look to move home. 

Our latest research reveals that the estate agency industry is now managing an impressive £100bn sales pipeline, with 350,000 agreed sales progressing to completion. That’s the largest figure for over 4 years, representing more than £1bn in commission value for agents.

Even more strikingly, the value of the sales pipeline is 48% higher than in September 2023, marking a significant rebound in market confidence and activity.

Mortgage rate stability supports demand

A record number of homes for sale over the last year has fuelled this momentum, giving buyers more choice and helping sellers regain confidence. 

With an average of 36 homes per branch, agents are benefitting from a far broader pool of potential transactions.

Crucially, greater stability in mortgage rates has played an important role. Earlier in 2025, banks revised their lending criteria, giving mortgage-dependent buyers a 20% boost in borrowing power for the same income and mortgage rate. This has helped boost  demand from first-time buyers and homeowners ready to move after a few hesitant years.

Reconnecting with motivated movers

With market confidence returning, agents now face the opportunity to convert activity into sustainable growth. Many homeowners are both buyers and sellers, and understanding their property’s value plays a crucial role in driving moving decisions.

Zoopla’s 4.8 million homeowner subscribers actively use the platform’s tools to track their property’s value and monitor local demand. These tools not only empower homeowners to understand more about their value and local market - but also match them with local agents when they’re ready to sell.

Through Zoopla’s Prospect Plus product, agents can reach these highly-engaged homeowners first, typically achieving a 43% conversion rate from valuation lead to instruction.

Positioning your agency for 2026 success

Rich Hayes, Chief Operating Officer at Zoopla, is encouraging agents to seize the moment and plan strategically for the year ahead:

“Market confidence has rebounded, and this is a great opportunity for agents to re-engage with vendors who may have gone quiet but could now have renewed motivation to sell.

It’s also a good time to re-evaluate your marketing strategy. Review your listings’ photography and descriptions to make sure they stand out, or consider using Zoopla’s premium listings and featured property slots to increase visibility among the UK’s most motivated mover audience.”

Zoopla continues to invest in technology and innovation designed to deliver high-quality buyers and sellers directly to agents. From enhanced listings to tools such as the buyer demand feature, the business remains focused on helping agents turn strong market activity into measurable revenue growth.

We’ll soon be introducing a new feature ‘Property Size Search’ which will let buyers filter homes by internal floor area, making it easier for them to find a property that’s the right fit. To get ready, make sure your ZooplaPro listings include total floor area.

All of our innovations aim to deliver more relevant search results and bring motivated, high-intent buyers straight to your listings. Smart search filters help surface properties that match specific buyer criteria, while badged listings such as “Hot Property” and “Hidden Gem” drive attention to active listings. Affordability calculators, must-have room filters, and EV‑charging searches further ensure enquiries come from genuinely relevant buyers.

We’re also improving tools like Travel Time and Draw a Map, along with automated alerts for saved properties, price changes, or resumed searches, which keep buyers engaged and coming back.

Together, these features help drive more traffic, more visibility, and more motivated movers to your listings, making it easier to move stock and grow your business.

Discover how our latest search innovations drive more motivated movers to your listings. 

As Hayes concludes:

“We’re focused on helping agents turn this record sales pipeline into growing sales revenues that can support continued business growth into 2026 and a strong return on investment from marketing.”

With confidence returning, borrowing power increasing and buyer activity surging, 2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for UK estate agents. The pipeline is strong, the market is moving, and the opportunity has rarely looked brighter.