"The further we get away from 2019, the less it resonates"

Ben Robinson and Rob Gurney of Landmark join host David Opie on the first Today's Conveyancer Podcast of 2025 to discuss the recently published Property Trends Report covering the final quarter of 2024. A regular feature of the podcast, the report looks data from within the Landmark group around property listings, sold-subject-to-contract numbers, search order volumes and completions; benchmarking the numbers against 2019 - the last year the property market might be considered to have been normal before the turmoil of COVID-19 and the ensuing turbulence. Reviewing the year's numbers there is a case to consider the property market has settled into a new normal ahead of 2025, with much of the data tracking at around two-thirds 2019 volumes. "6 years is a long time ago" says Ben Robinson, "if we think back we had the 2006 'before normal,' and we got to 2010-11 before people realised that wasn't the normal anymore. It will be interesting to see where that new normal levels off."The latest report revealsListing volumes were up 8% in Q4 ‘24 vs Q4 ‘19. Sold subject to contract (SSTC) volumes in Q4 ‘24 were down 33% when compared to Q4 ‘19 volumes.Completions have fallen by 37% in Q4 ’24 vs Q4 ‘19.Search order volumes in Q4 2024 were down 18% vs Q4 2019 levels, albeit December 2019 volumes were also comparatively low.  But with the market artificially stimulated by the stamp duty relief deadline for first time buyers coming in March what does the rest of 2025 hold for the property market? Listen in to hear Ben and Rob's thoughts and predictions. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack