Boxing Day boom: Marketing nonsense or genuine opportunity?
Picture the scene… it’s Boxing Day. Christmas Day is done for another 364 days. The dinner was a great success, George Michael’s Last Christmas is emanating from the Sonos, you’re living off lush leftovers & overfilled cupboards/freezers/presents/hampers, the in-laws have left (or are at least gracious enough guests to be asleep/out for a walk!), the kids/grandkids/nephews/nieces are amusing themselves with the stuff Santa brought them, the fire is roaring nicely, there’s a bottle of perfectly chilled fizz on the go & you position yourself next to the bowl of Lindt balls & snaffle the best seat in the house, with your feet up. Bliss.
Phone or tablet out & boom… straight onto Rightmove!
Yes, the Rightmove Boxing Day launch event is upon you – when hundreds of new listings go live across the UK’s No.1 property portal (& Zoopla, On The Market etc.).
But is this just marketing puff? Or is there a genuine opportunity for buyers to see the light here…?
The jury is out, opinions & strategies are deeply divided & it very much depends upon which listing agent you speak to, what price point you are shopping in/what type of property you are after & where in the country you are.
But consider these stats a moment…
• In 2024, Rightmove recorded its busiest-ever Boxing Day – the number of site visits jumped 87% between Christmas Day & Boxing Day!
• On that day, the number of new properties listed for sale was 26% higher than Boxing Day 2023.
• Enquiries to agents (i.e. buyers contacting agents about listings) were up about 20% on Boxing Day 2024 compared to the previous year.
So the “Boxing Day bounce” isn’t just a spike for page-views – it’s also a surge in new listings, buyer interest, & activity on the platform, isn’t it?
One thing is for sure… Boxing Day consistently does see a surge in property searches: because people are off work, have more time to browse, many are in a “new year, new start” mindset & pent-up demand from the Christmas lull suddenly returns, with vengeance.
Naturally, some (not all I do hasten to add) estate agents are keen to capitalise on this bounce: releasing lots of fresh listings to take advantage of the traffic spike. And with fewer everyday distractions, more buyers are online – that is a fact. But are they serious buyers, or Rightmove lurkers?
Rightmove describes it as “the start of the annual ramp-up into January & the traditionally strong spring selling season –making it a predictable moment when both buyer demand & new supply jump.” Hence the avalanche of listings.
Boxing Day acts as a reset switch for the market, clearing the festive slowdown (which actually started months before, thanks to the Autumn budget!) & hopefully kickstarting the active January cycle, which is a traditionally strong market.
Motivated buyers meeting fresh supply… hopefully leading to good things in 2026…?
Those who do not get involved make the argument: We don’t launch on Boxing Day because we get our discerning sellers/clients better results by going live when buyers are actually booking viewings, not when they’re just browsing on the sofa. They say it’s a gimmick – serious buyers don’t make decisions on Boxing Day! And that launching too early loses critical momentum, in that first 7-10 days.
Of course, the pro listings cap say Boxing Day isn’t just marketing hype – they say it’s a genuine opportunity, for sellers to get maximal exposure & tap into a huge surge of traffic & potential interest. And for buyers, to get a wider choice of property to view, with less frenzy than Spring & a better chance to negotiate, with motivated sellers.
They say if you’re serious about buying or selling, Boxing Day (& the first week after) remains one of the smartest times of the year to act… but is it really?
Of course, we are going to tell you something else from what either the pro or the nay camp say… the objective truth.
What gets listed on Rightmove on Boxing Day… we have already seen, weeks, if not months ago. Certainly anything good…
And we’ve got properties in mind for our clients that are not ever even listed on Rightmove, or any of the portals: all year round.
Finally & most critically, the majority of estate agent’s staff – certainly their A-Team who get deals done – are nowhere to be found in branch, or on the phone, on Boxing Day. So the chance of getting anything meaningful booked in, or any actual deals done, is absolutely minimal.
Boxing Day IS a traffic spike. There ARE more listings.
But it’s not the nirvana property people perceive it to be: certainly not at the smarter end of the street, so to speak…
The sensible choice is to put your bally phone down, pop another log on the roaring fire, pour yourself another glass of fizz, eat another Lindt ball & relax with a good Christmas movie or that new book your loved one found you – safe in the knowledge, you have already commissioned Flint Homes & you have a wonderful viewing schedule, loaded with outstanding properties, booked in later in the week. All amazing stuff only the smart few get to look at… & all the expertise, local knowledge, negotiation skill & support you could ever ask for.
Rightmove surfing, especially on Boxing Day, is over-rated, in our humble opinion… there are far smarter ways to spend your time & find your dream home.
It all starts with a DM… Merry Christmas!
