Take asking prices: it has become the norm now for buyers to assume that every home will sell well above asking price. In other countries, the first person to offer the asking price gets the home. Estate agents can then use this in their marketing for their next client: “We always sell, on average, for X over the asking price.” I’ve heard of opening bids that are €80,000 above the asking price. You have more transparency buying a steak in Ireland than you do a home. Ciarán Mulqueen hosts the social media page Crazy House Prices and is the author of How to Buy a Home in Ireland

Source: The Irish Times February 15, 2026 10:31 UTC