Dublin, February 9, 2026 — Knowledge gaps, financial pressures and persistent delays in conveyancing continue to weigh on buyers and sellers in the Irish homebuying market, according to a new report commissioned by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC).
The research, conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and funded by the CCPC, examined the operation of Ireland’s homebuying and selling market, focusing on consumers’ understanding of their rights and the primary stressors they face throughout the transaction process.
The report found that two in three participants who had previously purchased a home in Ireland experienced at least one significant stressor. These included conveyancing delays, problems discovered after the sale, sellers withdrawing from transactions and higher-than-expected costs. Buyers of second-hand properties were more likely to encounter stressors than those purchasing new-build homes.
Time-related issues emerged as the most common source of difficulty across the market. Almost 35% of second-hand buyers reported experiencing conveyancing delays, while 27% of newbuild buyers faced delays in moving into their homes for reasons beyond their control. Conveyancing delays were also identified as the most frequent stressor for sellers, affecting 23.6% of respondents.
An experimental component of the research assessed how bidding behaviour changes across different auction formats, including sealed bids, bidding through estate agents and online platforms. While all three formats pushed bids above participants’ own valuations of a property, online platforms and estate agent-led bidding were more likely to lead buyers to exceed their ideal budgets compared with sealed bid auctions.
The study also highlighted significant gaps in consumer knowledge of legal rights and responsibilities. Although more than two-thirds of participants were aware that it is illegal for sellers to accept multiple deposits on the same property, only one in five knew that estate agents can legally continue to market a property after it has been marked as sale agreed. Fewer than half understood that buyers can withdraw from a transaction without penalty before contracts are signed.
The findings reinforce the CCPC’s earlier advocacy work on the residential property market. In 2025, the authority published research on information provision that pointed to the need for a new conveyancing profession to reduce delays. The CCPC has also recommended legislative measures on pre-sale information and provides guidance for homebuyers through its website.
Commenting on the report, CCPC Director of Research, Advocacy and International, Simon Barry, said the findings reconfirm the need for reform in conveyancing, which remains a major source of stress for both buyers and sellers. He also noted that the bidding experiment underscores the importance of financial literacy when navigating different auction systems.
ESRI Senior Research Officer Dr Deirdre Robertson, the report’s lead author, said the findings show consumers are navigating a system they may not fully understand, with commonly used bidding formats encouraging overbidding and contributing to price inflation.
