Before we review our year in property and some predictions for 2026, we can look back on the stats for November. As you can see from the above snapshot of our performance figures, we agreed 18 new sales for our owners (compared to 39 in October 2025) and brought 22 new client’s properties to the market (33 - October 2025).

In total, we visited 60 homes to carry out market appraisals and valuations for homeowners during November.   

Buyer activity and demand dropped with 244 new buyers (460 - October 2025) registering for our ‘Heads Up’ property alerts and 180 viewings (465 – October 2025) carried out.    

Tenant demand also dropped further with 135 new tenants registering with us in November (229 - October 2025).

Walter MacLean from our Argyll branch in Dunoon branch comments “We’re delighted to share that 2025 has been another outstanding year for our Argyll Branch in Dunoon. Building on last years success, we have once again increased the number of property sales, reflecting both the strength of the local market and the trust our clients place in us.

From charming coastal homes to countryside retreats, our team are proud to match buyers with properties that truly capture the spirit of Argyll. Here’s to continuing this upward trend and welcoming even more happy homeowners in 2026!

With the recent reduction in Bank of England interest rates, we foresee a renewed surge in property activity across Argyll. Lower borrowing costs are expected to encourage more buyers to take the step into homeownership, while sellers will benefit from increased demand and market movement.

Our team is excited to build on the success of 2025, continuing to connect people with homes that capture the beauty and lifestyle of Dunoon and the wider Cowal Peninsula. We look forward to welcoming even more clients in 2026 as the local market thrives.”

Gregor Cope from the Shawlands branch comments “As we reflect on 2025, the overriding feeling is that it has been a very positive year for the residential sales market with sales values continuing to rise. This is great for owners but challenging for buyers.

Interest rates have generally stabilised and fallen over the second half of the year providing confidence for buyers with more attractive mortgage rates. More recently, the sales market has been quieter than expected due to the anticipated festive period drop-off, but the impact of speculation by the Chancellor of income tax rises in the budget meant that November was slower than normal.

Looking forward to 2026, we expect the sales market to be positive with relatively low interest rates giving buyers confidence. However, we wait to see what the Scottish Government announce in their budget on 13 January 2026 and we will assess what impact that will have on the market in our January update.

In the early part of 2025, the rental market was particularly strong with high demand for good rental properties and landlords able to achieve high monthly rent levels. In the later part of the year, we have seen a slower market, as tenant enquiries and demand dropped. This could be due to the higher cost of living, the impact of the recent budget or simply that the market has peaked. 

Notwithstanding, we anticipate a strong rental market in 2026 with high demand within the private rented sector. This is primarily due to less rental stock being available as existing landlords continue to leave the sector as increased legislation and costs impact. In 2017, the private rented sector accounted for 15% of the housing stock in Scotland. This reduced to 13% in 2022 and is expected to reduce further. Unfortunately, we anticipate it will be tenants that will feel the impact with rising rental values achievable due to demand over supply.”