The supply of second-hand homes for sale in Ireland remains “critically constrained” with fewer than 15,000 properties listed for sale nationwide in January, Sherry FitzGerald has said.
Despite an improvement in the number of second-hand homes advertised for sale, the estate agent noted that just 0.7 per cent of the Republic’s private housing stock – equivalent to 14,629 properties – was on the market in January.
Although this marked an increase of 4,250 units from the historic low recorded in January 2025, “it is still far below the level required for a balanced and functioning housing market,” the company said in its latest analysis of the sector.
The current stock of second-hand properties for sale remains 28 per cent lower than in January 2020, when 20,332 second-hand properties (1.1 per cent of total stock) were available.
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In Dublin, where supply pressures are most acute, 3,952 second-hand properties were advertised for sale in January, representing just 0.7 per cent of the capital’s private housing stock – up from 0.5 per cent a year earlier, the company said.
“Despite the increase over the past year, Ireland continues to face a severe structural shortage of available homes,” chief executive Marian Finnegan said.
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“The persistent imbalance between supply and demand is placing continued pressure on individuals and families attempting to secure suitable accommodation,” she said.
“Incremental improvements are welcome, but they fall far short of what is required to meet the needs of our growing population,” Finnegan said.
Sherry FitzGerald’s report noted that while stock levels increased in all areas compared with 2025, many parts of the country continue to experience “particularly acute shortages, especially beyond the main urban centres”.
When compared with January 2020, several regions experienced sharp declines in available homes for sale.
The stock of available properties for sale in the midwest was down 43 per cent; in the west it was down 42 per cent. This echoed declines of 39.2 per cent and 39 per cent in the southeast and Border regions.
Sherry FitzGerald noted that these same regions recorded some of the strongest price growth in 2025, ranging from 8.1 per cent to 11.1 per cent.
“While new housing delivery exceeded expectations in 2025 – with 36,284 new homes completed – output remains substantially below Sherry FitzGerald research’s estimated annual demand of 56,200 units,” it said.
It also noted that construction activity was primarily concentrated in Dublin, the Greater Dublin Area and Cork, which together accounted for 63.7 per cent of completions.
The company’s report indicated significant variation in the share of demand met across regions with Dublin (84.2 per cent); mideast (69.6 per cent); southwest (61.1 per cent) and west, midwest, Border and southeast (between 45 per cent and 52 per cent).
“Rural and regional Ireland continues to experience some of the most severe shortages of housing,” Finnegan said.
“To achieve balanced and sustainable economic growth, it is vital that new supply is delivered across the entire country – not only in our major cities,” she said.
“The uplift in completions in 2025 is encouraging, but all indicators will need close monitoring in 2026. Delivering new homes at scale nationwide is essential to improving choice and easing pressure on the second-hand market,” she said.
The Government’s revamped housing plan promises that a minimum of 300,000 new homes will be built by 2030, but a sharp slowdown in commencements has placed a question mark over that target.
