Why homeowners are choosing speed over price in 2025
In 2025, many UK homeowners are choosing speed over price when selling their homes. With rising supply, tighter affordability, and shifting buyer behaviour, fast sales are often the smarter move.
In 2025, the UK housing market will reveal a new set of priorities for many sellers. For a growing number of homeowners, getting a quick sale is becoming more important than achieving the absolute highest possible price. This shift reflects changes in supply and demand, financial pressures, mortgage dynamics, regional variation and market sentiment.
Drawing on data from Rightmove, Zoopla and related sources, this blog explores why speed is winning out, what the data confirms, where the trade-offs are most marked, and how sellers can navigate this environment.
Setting the 2025 Landscape: Key Market Trends
Before digging into seller behaviour, it helps to understand the broader market in 2025.
Supply is high: competition among sellers is increasing
Rightmove reports that new seller asking prices are coming to the market at levels that are still below the peaks of earlier 2024.
The number of homes for sale per estate branch is at the highest level for this time of year in about a decade.
Zoopla similarly notes there are ‘plenty of homes for sale’ in many regions, which means buyers have more choice, and thus sellers must compete not just on price but on other factors, like speed.
Modest house price growth: downward pressure in many markets
After periods of strong growth, price inflation is slowing. Zoopla forecasts average UK house price growth to be about 2.5% in 2025.
Mortgage rates, affordability and buyer caution
Mortgage rates remain above what many want, constraining resale price expectations and lengthening decision times. Sellers are aware that buyers are more price-sensitive and wary of high ongoing costs.
Zoopla reports that average asking prices must align with what buyers can afford, and sellers need to be realistic or risk long market times.
Regional divergence
The picture isn’t uniform across the UK. Markets in Northern England, Scotland, Wales and some Midlands areas are showing better demand, quicker sales and stronger or more stable price growth.
Meanwhile, in many parts of Southern England (especially inner and prime London areas), there is slower demand, more time on the market, and more frequent asking price reductions.
Seller market timing factors
Changes in stamp duty, tax speculation, mortgage regulation and uncertainties around future interest rate movements are making both buyers and sellers more cautious. Many sellers want to minimise exposure to these risks by selling more quickly.
What the Data shows: Speed matters in practice
Given that backdrop, what evidence is there that homeowners are prioritising speed over maximising price?
Homes are selling at below the asking price more often
Zoopla reported that in May 2025, homeowners were on average selling for about 4.5% below their asking price.
The gap arises because sellers who price high often have to drop their asking prices or wait longer to find a committed buyer. Many are opting to price more aggressively up front, accepting a lower margin in exchange for a faster sale.
‘Time to sell’ is becoming a more visible metric
In Zoopla’s August 2025 House Price Index, they note that homes priced too high take more than twice as long to sell.
Sellers are more aware that overpricing can lead to long listing periods, which can incur costs (mortgage, maintenance, opportunity cost, ongoing taxes, etc), as well as increasing the risk of having to reduce price later.
Asking prices are being adjusted more quickly
With supply elevated and buyer demand somewhat tempered by affordability, many sellers are reducing asking prices earlier in the listing lifecycle. Rightmove and Zoopla both report that sellers are making their homes more competitive through price cuts or more realistic list prices to attract buyers quickly.
Transaction volumes and buyer intent remain strong despite price stagnation
Zoopla data show that new sales being agreed are up compared to 2024 in many places; demand is there, but buyers are more selective, and responses to overpricing are swift.
This implies that sellers who move fast, understand the market, price competitively, and present well are more likely to see offers and close deals faster.
Seller behaviour shifting
Agents report that vendors are increasingly willing to compromise on aspirational pricing to reduce time on the market, especially those who need to move (job relocation, family reasons, debt pressures, etc).
While direct survey numbers are less abundant, this shift is visible in pricing strategy trends. For instance, in Rightmove’s commentary, there is mention of ‘sellers driving down asking prices to attract buyers this summer’ and that this approach appears to work: the number of sales agreed is up.
Why speed has gained priority
What are the driving motivations behind sellers’ new preference for speed over maximum price?
Holding costs and opportunity costs
Owning a home comes with recurring expenses: mortgage interest, maintenance, insurance, council tax, etc. The longer a property sits on the market, the more these costs accumulate.
For sellers who already own a new home, or are planning to buy elsewhere, tying up capital or carrying two homes is costly. There’s often an opportunity cost: moving now may allow one to take advantage of something better, such as a job relocation or a better mortgage rates.
Uncertainty
The market in 2025 is marked by uncertainty: prospective changes in property taxes, potential further shifts in mortgage regulation, and still relatively high borrowing costs. Sellers may prefer to act now rather than risk a less favourable environment emerging.
Psychological drive and risk aversion
Price highs feel riskier: listing at a high price can mean long-term exposure, multiple reductions, and the possibility of getting less in the end. Many sellers decide they’d rather take a ‘good enough price’ quickly than hold out for a premium that might never materialise.
Buyer behaviour makes delay costly
With supply increasing, buyers have more options and are more selective. A property that stays on the market for weeks or months with little interest may develop a stigma. Time on market becomes a signal. Buyers may assume overpricing, issues with the property, or that the seller is inflexible. These perceptions push sellers to price competitively and move quickly.
Regional and local market constraints
In regions with weaker price growth or lower buyer demand, often in Southern England or more expensive areas, delays can be particularly costly. In contrast, in regions with more robust demand, sellers still need speed to capture market momentum before it shifts.
Financial pressures and life transitions
Sellers with impending life changes, such as relocation, financial pressures, retirement or downsizing, are more likely to want speed. Also, those with debt obligations or expiring contracts, bridging finance, leaseholds, etc., may have less flexibility.
Where the trade-offs are most evident
The choice to prioritise speed over price is not uniform. There are noticeable differences in:
Geographical areas
Regions in Northern England, Scotland, Wales and many Midlands areas show better performance: lower time on market, modest but steady price growth, and more buyer demand. These markets allow sellers to get a good price and reasonable speed, perhaps if priced appropriately.
In contrast, high price southern markets, particularly prime London and its fringes, are seeing longer time to sell, asking price reductions, and more pressure to compromise on price to avoid lengthy listings.
House types
Detached/semi-detached homes, properties with gardens or extra space, tend to attract more demand, particularly in post-pandemic buyer preference shifts.
Flats and smaller or less differentiated properties are more likely to suffer from oversupply and therefore, longer marketing periods.
Sellers of flats may more often accept lower margins for speed.
Price band
Homes in mid-market or affordable homes are more likely to move quickly because the buyer pool is larger and more active. Higher-end, luxury properties, although they may have larger absolute gains, often take longer to sell and often must discount or adjust expectations.
Seller motivation
Those who need to move, for job, family or financial reasons, tend to accept speed at a cost more quickly. Sellers who are not under pressure can afford to wait, and thus may continue to aim for a higher price.
What the data suggests sellers should do if speed is a priority
If a homeowner in 2025 decides that speed is more important than holding out for peak price, here are some strategic implications.
| Strategy | What the data supports | Practical implications |
|
Price realistically from the outset |
Homes overpriced take more than twice as long to sell. When the asking price is too high, sellers often end up reducing it anyway. | Use local comparables; accept that offering a slight discount off what you might get in a perfect market may accelerate interest. |
| Be responsive to market signals | Asking price reductions are happening more often; buyers are more cautious and have tighter affordability constraints. | Monitor how long you’ve had viewings, levels of interest compared to similar local properties, and be prepared to adjust quickly. |
| Time your listing carefully | Sellers pushing listings in the early part of 2025 benefited from stronger buyer demand ahead of policy changes (e.g. Stamp Duty changes). | If possible, list at times when buyer urgency is higher, for example, ahead of tax or policy changes or seasonality. |
| Invest in presentation and marketing | With more inventory available, presentation matters more. Well-presented homes can shorten the time to offer and sell. While data is less precise here, agent commentary supports that marketing quality, staging, and digital presence help accelerate sales. | |
| Be aware of local market conditions | Regional variation is strong. What works (price, speed, trade-offs) will be different throughout the UK. | Consult local agents and do your due diligence. Look at metrics like average days to sell and local buyer demand. |
| Manage expectations | Accepting that the realised sale price may be lower than the aspirational asking price can be part of a plan to sell quickly. |
Decide ahead of listing how much you are willing to compromise; this prevents price reductions being reactive and demoralising.
|
Risks and downsides of choosing speed over price
It’s not without trade-offs. Sellers who prioritise speed may face:
Lost premium: In competitive markets, holding out for a price may yield more, particularly if the market tightens.
Perception issues: A low list price may signal lesser quality or issues to some buyers; some buyers may try to negotiate harder.
Regret: Some sellers may later feel they accepted too much of a discount.
Those trade-offs are more acceptable in some situations than in others (urgent move vs optimal move, need to free capital vs availability to wait, etc).
What sellers should know if they prioritise speed
To wrap up, here are some takeaways for homeowners thinking of selling quickly in 2025, based on the data and market signals.
Get a realistic valuation
Use local data, e.g. recent similar sales, average days on market, and multiple estate agents. If, earlier in the year, you obtained valuations assuming a stretch for price, reassess whether those assumptions still hold.
Set a strategy for negotiation
Consider leading with a slightly lower asking price but leaving room to negotiate. Or build in ‘early price reviews’ so you can adjust if you don’t see offers within a reasonable timeframe.
Optimise presentation
First impressions matter more when the market is more crowded. Good photos, clean or even staged interiors, curb appeal, clear documentation, etc., can help you get to viewings and offers faster.
Choose the right time and market window
If possible, list when buyer demand is stronger, typically spring and early summer, or ahead of fiscal/tax deadlines.
Be mentally prepared for compromise
Decide beforehand what price drop or concession you’ll accept in order to move quickly, to avoid being pushed into doing something under pressure.
Conclusion
In 2025, the UK housing market is seeing a clear shift: many homeowners are increasingly willing to trade off some price in exchange for speed of sale. The data from Rightmove and Zoopla support this: modest price growth, increased supply, longer times on the market when overpricing, frequent price reductions, and a general cooling of buyer exuberance.
While maximising price remains important to many, it’s no longer always the primary goal, especially for those who value certainty, lower carrying costs, or must move on a timeline. For such sellers, success increasingly depends on realistic pricing, strong presentation, savvy timing, and responsiveness.
In many regions in 2025, aiming for a fast sale means accepting lower margins, but avoiding long waits, reducing stress, and mitigating risk often makes that trade worthwhile.