Shares in Savills PLC (LSE:SVS) opened 1% higher at 1,030p after the estate agency chain and property group said it expects improving sentiment and strong pipelines to support a recovery in 2026.
That said, uncertainty across global markets remains elevated, investors were told in a year-end trading statement.
Setting out expectations, Savills said it anticipates solid year-on-year growth for 2025, at least in line with expectations, helped by a marked pick-up in activity in the final quarter.
The group said confidence among investors and occupiers strengthened progressively through Q4, allowing deals that had been delayed earlier in the year to complete.
The update paints a picture of a stop-start year for property markets. Early momentum faded through the middle of 2025 as clients digested the impact of US tariffs, geopolitical tensions and fiscal uncertainty.
In the UK, its largest market, the delayed Autumn Budget weighed particularly on prime residential activity.
Against that backdrop, Savills said it built strong transactional pipelines across regions.
Transactional revenues rose in EMEA, supported by resilience in the UK and strong growth in the Middle East, while North America and parts of Asia Pacific delivered a strong finish after a subdued middle of the year.
Its property and facilities management, consultancy and investment management continued to provide steadier growth. Savills expects these operations to remain resilient in 2026 as markets gradually recover.
The group will publish full-year results on 12 March 2026.