Prices rebound after dramatic fall in April

Sale prices rose by an average of 3.7% in May, according to the latest report from DAFT.ie released yesterday.

It reflects a major rebound of property prices achieved, following a sharp drop of 5.5% for the month of April, according to the housing market report from one of Ireland's largest property websites.

June sees the launch of a new form of Daft.ie Report. Over the next few months Daft will be releasing the latest facts and figures from the housing market – both sale and rental. In large part, the move to monthly is due to the disruption caused by COVID-19, which is easily seen from looking at the latest figures.

The new monthly report gives key figures on the health of both sale and rental markets, with figures showing a 0.6% rise in average rents in May, compared to April. The average monthly rent nationwide in May was €1,398, some 0.7% higher than a year ago; while the average listed sale price was €245,545, 1.6% lower than in May 2019.

More rural counties such as Cavan and Monaghan saw greater volatility in listed sales prices in April and May. Sales prices in Connacht-Ulster fell by 12% in April before rising 8% in May.

Meanwhile, the year-on-year position for this region shows sales prices are down 2.3% in May 2020 compared to May 2019; while rental prices are down 1.7%.

Sale prices are now lower than a year ago in all parts of the country except Leinster (outside Dublin), where they remain 2.1% above levels seen a year ago. In contrast, May 2020 rents were on average higher than those seen a year previously – although in Dublin they were unchanged, while in Connacht-Ulster they were 1.7% lower.

Trends in availability show starker differences between sale and rental segments. Across the country as a whole, there were 22% fewer homes for sale on June 1, 2020, than on the same date a year previously. This reflects a collapse in new ads of homes for sale, with just one quarter the number of homes put on the market in May 2020 than the same month a year ago.

In the rental segment, however, the number of homes available to rent in May was up slightly nationwide – by six per cent compared to the same month last year. However supply for Dublin has surged and is up 40%, while the rest of the country saw reduced supply.

Rental prices nationwide did fall 2.1% in April, compared to March, a substantial fall, but this was far less than was seen in the sales market.

The 2.1% fall in rents was the largest one-month fall in average rents nationwide since March 2009. It marks only the eighth time in nearly seven years that the average monthly rent fell.

Furthermore the recovery is much more muted (0.6%). The national average rent is now slightly higher than a year ago (+0.7%) and the national average sale price is 1.6% lower than a year ago.

Commenting on the report, Ronan Lyons, economist at Trinity College Dublin and author of the Daft Report, said: “The latest figures from the housing market shows clear differences in how sale and rental markets are responding. Sale markets have been more volatile – something to be expected given the role confidence plays in making a home purchase. Rental markets have been steadier but are also pointing to lower rental levels. As the economy begins to open up again after the Covid-19 lockdown, it remains to be seen the extent of the damage, in particular in the numbers out of work. Ireland’s ability to get back to work – and to reconnect with the rest of the world economy – will be critical in restoring a healthy level of housing demand. Nonetheless, huge underlying supply shortages remain, in particular homes for renters in Ireland’s main cities.”