December saw new house seller asking prices fall as a traditional slump in activity before Christmas weighed, Rightmove has reported.
On average, new sellers asked for 1.7%, or £6,395, less this month at £360,197 as attention turned to festivities.
Prices remained 1.4% higher than a year earlier though, with Rightmove forecasting a surge post-Christmas and next year.
“New sellers in December have to work particularly hard to capture the attention of Xmas-party and festivity-distracted buyers,” Rightmove property science director Tim Bannister said.
“We are now looking ahead to the traditional Rightmove Boxing Day bounce in home-mover activity, which has increasingly become a key date.”
Boxing Day last year saw a record number of sellers coming to market, Rightmove pointed out, as demand also surged.
Sales agreements were up 22% year on year, it added, leaving momentum ahead of the anticipated surge.
A further decline in mortgage rates and hurried buying ahead of a hike in stamp duty rates was set to boost prices into 2025, with Rightmove forecasting a 4% increase over the year.