Sellers facing a slow housing market may find success by temporarily removing their properties from public view and relisting them, a strategy that data indicates can boost sale prospects. Figures from property analytics firm TwentyCi suggest that homes left on the market for over three months have a reduced chance of selling, dropping to 14.2 percent. However, withdrawing a property and relisting it after a brief hiatus increases this likelihood to 39.9 percent.
The data indicates that lowering the price upon relisting has a negligible impact on the chances of a sale. "Even in a challenging market, pricing isn’t everything and timing is crucial," said Colin Bradshaw, chief executive of TwentyCi. "If sellers can afford to, they should consider withdrawing their property from the market if it hasn’t sold in the first few weeks. Our analysis shows this can significantly improve their chances of a sale, and at the desired price."
According to TwentyCi, more than half of all property sales occur within the first five weeks of listing, and over three-quarters happen within the first three months. After this initial period, potential buyers may view a prolonged listing or multiple price reductions as a sign of underlying issues.
In 2025, 582,000 properties were withdrawn from the market in the UK. Of these, 95,700 were relisted after a break of around three months. Among the relisted properties, 54,700 had a price reduction, achieving a 39.5 percent chance of selling, while 41,000 were relisted at the same or a higher price, with a slightly higher 39.9 percent chance of sale.
TwentyCi reports that the supply of newly listed properties is at its highest in a decade, yet the volume of sales agreed has decreased. This is attributed to mortgage affordability constraints and broader economic uncertainty. Bradshaw noted that "the result of mortgage affordability constraints and wider, ongoing economic uncertainty."
Estate agent Jeremy Leaf expressed a more cautious view, suggesting that the success of relisting depends on market conditions during the property's absence. "The success of re-listing will largely depend on what’s happened to the market with regards to supply and demand during the period when your property is off market," Leaf stated. He also noted that improved presentation or the completion of external factors like nearby construction could enhance a property's appeal upon relisting.
Some agents may attempt to remove properties from listing portals and relist them shortly after as a 'new' property to avoid them appearing stale. However, this practice can sometimes be detected by the portals. The national average time to sell a home has nearly doubled since 2022, according to Zoopla.