First-time home buyers are often forced to overbid and pay over the odds because of open auctions preferred by auctioneers and online platforms. It looked at how people act when faced with different bidding systems, including the ones most commonly used by estate agents and online sellers. The study also suggested that there is a growing number of buyers experiencing what it called “transactional stressors” in the market. Most participants also called for sellers to provide a condition survey of the house rather than buyers. “In short, buyers and sellers are navigating systems that they do not fully understand, often under stress, and with limited trust."

Source: Irish Examiner February 09, 2026 02:30 UTC