For the most part, it’s been a fairly steady start to 2026, with levels of activity here in Guernsey continuing where they left off at the end of 2025.

Despite wider geopolitical tensions, buyer and seller confidence remains relatively robust – albeit with a clear focus on value and affordability.

Local Market

Average values across the Local Market continue to be broadly stable, with sensibly priced smaller homes and apartments in particular demand.

Transaction levels are also little changed when compared to the end of last year, reinforcing the market’s longer-term resilience.

According to the latest property bulletin from the States of Guernsey, there were 163 Local Market sales during the first quarter of 2026 – just three fewer than the first quarter of 2025 and significantly higher than the same period in both 2024 and 2023.

The average price paid for a Local Market home meanwhile was £604,094 – 1.4% higher than the previous quarter and 4.1% higher than the same period last year. However, it is still some way off 2023 when prices peaked at £647,889.

Open Market

The Open Market is where we’ve seen the largest gains, with a notable increase in transactions compared to the start of 2025.

The uplift echoes the strong momentum we experienced at the end of last year and reflects Guernsey’s continued popularity among relocators.

The island lifestyle remains hugely attractive and where pricing has aligned with expectations we’ve completed several deals. We’ve even seen activity coming out of Dubai, driven by those who want to be closer to UK soil.

According to the latest States of Guernsey property bulletin, there were 28 Open Market sales in the first quarter of this year – up from 16 for the same period in 2025 – with an average price of £1.49m.

Although this is slightly down compared to last year – when the average price was £1.91m – it’s important to remember that Open Market values tend to fluctuate as (due to the relatively small number of transactions) one or two deals towards the bottom or top end can skew the figures disproportionately.

Market outlook

As we head into the summer, levels of activity should hopefully be maintained by the spring market and stability on interest rates. Our pipeline also looks encouraging, with several homes due to launch over the coming weeks.

The lower end of the market is being underpinned by first time buyers and downsizers alongside a small return of investment buyers, while Guernsey’s appeal as a place to live and do business is ever important and will maintain our position internationally.

Nevertheless, mortgage rates remain elevated compared to recent standards and buyers will likely be selective, so setting a sensible guide price will still be important for those hoping to sell.