Taking a property off the market and relisting it later significantly increases the chances of finding a buyer, even if the asking price remains exactly the same.
Data from property analytics firm TwentyCi shows that withdrawing a home after a stagnant period and returning it to the market boosts the odds of a sale from 14.2 per cent to nearly 40 per cent.
The strategy takes advantage of the fresh interest a new listing generates, avoiding the stigma attached to properties that have lingered on portals for months.
Tripled chances of a sale
According to TwentyCi, more than half of all property sales (53.3 per cent) happen within the first five weeks of a listing. Over three quarters (75.6 per cent) are agreed within the first three months.
Once that three-month threshold is crossed, the likelihood of a sale drops to just 14.2 per cent. Potential buyers often assume the prolonged marketing period or multiple price cuts mean there must be something wrong with the home.
However, withdrawing a property and relisting it after a short break raises the chances of selling to 39.9 per cent.
Throughout last year, 582,000 properties were withdrawn from the market. After a rest period of three months, 95,700 were relisted.
Of those returning to the market, 54,700 came back with a reduced asking price, while 41,000 were listed at the same price or higher.
The data suggests that lowering the price made virtually no difference to the final outcome. Homes with a reduced price had a 39.5 per cent chance of selling, while those matching or exceeding their original asking price had a 39.9 per cent chance.
Decade-high market supply
Colin Bradshaw, chief executive of TwentyCi, said the supply of newly listed properties in 2026 has reached its highest level for a decade. Supply is 2.4 per cent higher than at the same point in 2025.
Despite the increase in available homes, agreed sales so far this year are 5.1 per cent lower than in 2025. Bradshaw attributed the decrease to mortgage affordability constraints and wider, ongoing economic uncertainty.
Mortgage rates have risen again recently, driven by inflation triggered by the conflict with Iran. The spike has reversed earlier hopes that the Bank of England would cut interest rates, leaving buyers and homeowners facing higher borrowing costs.
According to property website Zoopla, the national average time it takes to sell a home has nearly doubled since 2022.
"Even in a challenging market, pricing isn’t everything and timing is crucial," Bradshaw said. "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."
Caution from estate agents
Jeremy Leaf, an estate agent, said he was less convinced that withdrawing and relisting is universally effective, though he acknowledged he has seen it work.
"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 said.
He warned that waiting a few months could result in achieving considerably less money than a seller might otherwise have accepted, as housing markets rarely remain unchanged.
"However, if you take the opportunity to change the photos and presentation, that might help make a sale," he added.
Leaf also noted that a temporary withdrawal can be beneficial if immediate external factors, such as roadworks outside the house or scaffolding on an adjacent building, are deterring viewers. Relisting once the disruptions have cleared can help secure a buyer.
Some sellers attempt to bypass the rest period by withdrawing and relisting their homes within a matter of days.
"Some agents try to remove properties from portals and cheekily re-list a short time later as a 'new' property, which can sometimes help avoid it appearing 'stale'," Leaf said. "The portals sometimes pick up on this practice, but not always."
