British house prices will rise more slowly than the cost of living in both 2025 and 2026, according to a new Reuters poll of housing market economists, cementing a prolonged period of real-terms decline in residential property values. The survey, which canvassed dozens of analysts, forecasts average UK house price growth of roughly 2.8% this year and 3.5% next, against inflation running at an estimated 2.6% and 2.3% respectively. While the nominal figures suggest a market that is technically still rising, the gap between wage growth, inflation and property values means the real purchasing power of housing wealth continues to erode for the third consecutive year.