The Way Homes Are Being Sold Has Changed
- Posted by Michael Griffin in Tips & Advice
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The first quarter of the year is always a useful barometer for the property market,
and for us at Griffin Auctioneers, Q1 2026 has been one of the busiest periods we’ve
experienced to date.
In January, we recorded the highest number of viewings on a single property since
the business was established, which resulted in a strong outcome for our seller. That
level of demand did not happen by chance, and it was not driven by simply placing a
property on the portals and waiting for enquiries. It was the result of how the property
was marketed before it ever officially launched.
Over the past number of years, we have been tracking where our buyers are actually
discovering homes. In 2023, approximately 15% of our buyers first came across their
property through our Instagram or Facebook channels. In 2024, that rose slightly to
22%. By 2025, it had increased significantly to 66%.
In the first quarter of 2026, that figure has reached 84%.
When you look at the full picture from 2025, the scale of that shift becomes very
clear. Across our owned channels, Griffin generated just over 3.2 million views for
our seller’s properties. In comparison, property portal views for the same period and
properties were 678,662 .
For sellers, this has real implications.
The majority of attention your property is going to receive is no longer happening on
the portals. It is happening before it ever gets there.
That early attention is what drives momentum. When a property launches with strong
visibility already behind it, it attracts more enquiries, more viewings, and a stronger
pool of buyers from the outset. When that visibility is not there, the property is relying
on being found rather than being seen.
Property portals still play an important role. They capture buyers who are actively
searching and ready to move. But they are no longer the primary driver of demand.
Buyers are encountering homes while scrolling, watching, and sharing long before
they ever begin a formal search. By the time they reach the portals, many have
already decided what they want to view.
For anyone considering selling, it comes down to this. The more people who see
your home at the very start, the more interest it generates, and that is what ultimately
drives the strength of your result.
If you’re selling your home this year, the person who is going to buy it is probably on
social media. So are we, and we know how to reach them. The question is whether your property will.
Michael Griffin
Griffinauctioneers.com
PSRA License No. 001644-001882