Ireland Property Market Briefing: The Week in Review — 31 October to 6 November 2026

Ireland’s property market is cooling at the edges, but the underlying shortage of homes, apartments and affordable rental accommodation remains firmly in place. Our review of the principal Irish housing and commercial-property developments published between 31 October and 6 November 2026 points to a market with slower second-hand sales, moderating price growth, renewed institutional investment and continuing pressure on landlords, tenants, developers and buyers.

This briefing has been prepared by Casey Kennedy Estate Agents, established in Stillorgan in 1985 and now serving South Dublin, Dublin City, the Northside, the Southside and the wider Dublin commuter belt. It is intended as market commentary rather than financial, legal, tax or planning advice.

The week’s central message

The market is not moving in one direction. Buyers are benefiting from a slower pace of asking-price inflation and a gradual increase in advertised stock, while sellers still operate in a structurally undersupplied market. At the same time, higher borrowing costs are beginning to affect transactions, particularly in the second-hand market.

For landlords, the picture is more complicated. Demand for professionally managed rental homes remains strong, but affordability, regulation, energy performance and the availability of suitable tenants’ accommodation are all becoming more important. For investors, institutional capital is returning to Irish living and prime commercial property, but investors are concentrating on assets with durable demand, high-quality buildings and credible long-term income.

Residential sales: slower transactions, but prices remain elevated

A report covered by The Irish Times found that second-hand home sales fell by 2.2% in the third quarter of 2026, while total residential transactions rose by only 0.3% year-on-year. New-home sales increased by 9.4%, helping to offset weaker activity in the much larger second-hand market.

The same report put the national median transaction price at €406,000 in Q3 2026, an annual increase of 5.2%. Dublin’s median was €550,000, while the median outside Dublin was €360,000. The median Dublin apartment price was reported at €407,000.

The data suggests that affordability is now exerting a greater influence on the market. Mortgage costs, inflation and economic uncertainty can cause buyers to delay decisions even where demand for homes remains strong. This does not necessarily mean a broad market fall; it means that pricing, presentation, mortgage readiness and transaction management matter more than they did during the fastest phase of the recovery.

Energy efficiency is now a material pricing factor

One of the most significant findings reported this week is the value attached to energy performance. Geowox found that, excluding new homes, properties rated A or B achieved a median price of approximately €466,000, compared with about €370,000 for homes rated C to G. The reported difference was approximately €96,000, or 25.9%.

That premium should not be read as a guaranteed valuation uplift for every home. Location, size, condition, site, specification and buyer profile remain decisive. However, the result reinforces a point we see increasingly in practice: BER, heating systems, insulation, running costs and retrofit potential are becoming part of the buyer’s value calculation.

For sellers, this makes it worthwhile to assemble BER documentation, utility information and details of completed upgrades before launching a campaign. For landlords, energy performance is increasingly linked to tenant appeal, operating costs and the long-term resilience of an asset.

Price growth is moderating rather than disappearing

The latest official CSO Residential Property Price Index available during the period showed national residential prices up 5.5% in the year to July 2026, down slightly from 5.6% in June. The direction is consistent with the Q3 findings: growth is becoming less rapid, but the market remains expensive because prices are moderating from a high base.

The MyHome Q3 2026 report also pointed to slower asking-price inflation, reporting annual growth of 3.9% nationally, 2.1% in Dublin and 4.8% outside the capital. The number of homes advertised on MyHome was reported to be 12.5% higher year-on-year at the end of September.

For the Dublin seller, the practical implication is clear: an accurate launch price is more important than an optimistic headline figure. A well-presented property with a credible price can still attract strong attention, but a property that enters the market too high may lose momentum and require a later adjustment.

Sources: The Irish Times and Geowox, CSO and MyHome and Bank of Ireland.

Apartment supply: Dublin’s structural gap remains severe

Research reported by RTÉ on JLL’s Dublin Living Market Report estimated that Dublin could face a shortfall of more than 5,400 apartments in 2026. JLL forecast approximately 9,685 completions against an estimated annual requirement of at least 15,100 apartments.

JLL forecast 10,304 completions for 2027, which would still leave Dublin almost 4,800 apartments below estimated annual need. Apartment starts reportedly fell sharply from 18,161 in 2024 to 3,625 in 2025, although starts in the first nine months of 2026 had recovered to 7,732.

The key issue is not simply whether demand exists. It is whether schemes are financially viable after land, finance, construction, planning, infrastructure and compliance costs. This is particularly relevant to the Dublin rental market, where insufficient apartment delivery continues to place upward pressure on rents and intensifies competition among tenants.

Rental market: scarcity at the affordable end

The Simon Communities of Ireland reported on 3 November that just 12 properties were available within Housing Assistance Payment limits across 16 surveyed areas in September. Eleven of the 16 areas had no property available within the relevant limits.

The report recorded 1,361 properties available to rent at any price across the surveyed areas and said that only two of the 13 areas outside Dublin had properties within HAP limits: Dundalk and Kildare. The figures illustrate the widening gap between headline rental availability and the supply that is affordable to households dependent on housing support.

This is not only a social-policy issue. It is also a market issue for landlords and property managers. Properties that are accurately priced, well maintained and professionally managed are more likely to attract stable tenants, reduce void periods and avoid preventable disputes. At the same time, landlords must obtain specialist advice on rent-setting, notices, tenancy obligations and the rules applying to their particular tenancy.

What the CSO says about the rental stock

The CSO’s Rental Sector in Ireland 2024, published on 5 November 2026, provides a detailed administrative snapshot of active rental tenancies at the end of 2024. It should not be confused with a live 2026 rental-listings count, but it is valuable for understanding the composition of the stock.

Among private rental properties, 14% were A-rated, 16% B-rated and 37% C-rated. A further 28% were D or E, while 5% were F or G. The median floor area of a private rental property was 80 square metres nationally, compared with 66 square metres in Dublin City and 78 square metres in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.

The CSO also found that 41% of private rental properties were built between 2001 and 2010, with a further 19% built between 1991 and 2000. Mains gas was the main heating fuel in 40% of private rental homes, electricity in 38% and heating oil in 20%.

Short-term letting rules: a deadline for property owners

The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment has confirmed that new short-term-letting rules will apply from 31 December 2026. The official short-term letting guidance states that the national register is due to open on 1 December 2026 and that hosts offering stays of up to 21 nights must register with Fáilte Ireland by 31 December.

Registration will require a unique number to be displayed on listings. Planning compliance will also be relevant, with different arrangements depending on whether a property is in a town with more or less than 20,000 people. The Department says new short-term lets will generally be restricted in cities and larger towns, while certain existing operators may have a route to regularise planning status.

Owners considering a change between long-term rental, short-term letting and sale should review the planning, tax, insurance, management and tenancy consequences before making a decision. Casey Kennedy can assist with market appraisals and rental-management conversations, while specialist legal and planning advice should be obtained where required.

Commercial property: investment returns, but quality matters

Commercial activity was also prominent this week. Colliers’ Ireland Capital Markets Report recorded €673 million of commercial-property investment across 22 transactions in Q3 2026, bringing year-to-date turnover to €2.16 billion. That was reported as 34% ahead of the same period in 2025.

The living sector led Q3 investment with €248 million, or 37% of turnover. Colliers said North American investors accounted for 45% of Q3 spend, mainland European investors 42% and Irish investors 9%. The firm expects full-year turnover to exceed €3 billion if several large transactions complete before year-end.

In the Dublin office market, Bannon’s Q3 Office Pulse, published on 4 November, described conditions as resilient. It recorded 533,063 square feet transacted across 56 transactions during the quarter, with activity moderating after a particularly strong second quarter but remaining broadly in line with longer-term averages.

There was also a notable institutional commitment to prime office supply. IPUT and ISIF announced a €100 million investment to support the development of 29 Earlsfort Terrace as part of IPUT’s €500 million Grade A+ office-development pipeline.

Sources: Colliers, Bannon and IPUT and ISIF.

What this means for sellers

• Price for the current market. Use comparable evidence, recent transactions and local buyer feedback rather than relying only on historic expectations.
• Prepare before launching. Resolve obvious maintenance issues, organise BER and title-related documentation and present the home consistently across photography, viewings and online marketing.
• Show the running-cost story. BER improvements, insulation, heating upgrades and evidence of energy efficiency can help buyers understand value.
• Manage the campaign actively. Buyer qualification, viewing feedback and negotiation strategy are increasingly important when price growth is moderating.

What this means for landlords and investors

• Review the asset, not just the rent. Condition, BER, floor area, tenant demand, service charges, insurance and future regulation all affect performance.
• Take short-term letting deadlines seriously. Owners should review registration and planning requirements before 31 December 2026 where relevant.
• Professional management can protect income. Accurate marketing, tenant screening, inspections, maintenance coordination and compliant documentation can reduce avoidable vacancies and disputes.
• Consider long-term resilience. The strongest investment case is generally built around sustainable demand, reasonable leverage, quality construction and realistic operating costs.

Casey Kennedy Estate Agents: local expertise for a changing market

In a market where national headlines can obscure major local differences, experienced advice matters. Casey Kennedy Estate Agents combines local knowledge with a full property-service offering covering residential sales, lettings, property management, block and OMC management, commercial and residential rent reviews, and Bluebook valuations.

Our residential sales team supports sellers from pricing and presentation through targeted marketing, viewings, negotiation and the practical steps needed to progress a sale. We work across South Dublin, Dublin City, the wider Dublin area and the commuter belt, with agents based across the City Centre, Northside and Southside.

Whether you are considering selling a family home, reviewing a rental investment, letting a property, or assessing a commercial asset, we would be pleased to discuss the next step.

Request a confidential property consultation with Casey Kennedy Estate Agents.

Sources and methodology

This article reviews significant Ireland-related residential, rental and commercial-property developments published or updated during the week of 31 October to 6 November 2026. Sources include the Central Statistics Office, RTÉ, The Irish Times, MyHome and Bank of Ireland, JLL, Colliers, Bannon, IPUT, ISIF, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, and Simon Communities of Ireland. Market reports often cover earlier reference periods, such as Q3 2026 or the end of 2024; the publication date and reference period should therefore be distinguished.