A bruised market readies itself for 2021

By and large, the property sector managed to withstand the ordeal that was 2020, but the new year will bring plenty of challenges of its own

‘Any change in Dublin residential prices in 2021, positive or negative, will be linked to the economy, employment and consumer confidence,’ according to Aoife Brennan, head of research at Lisney. Photo: Getty

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that there’s no such thing as a sure thing. As aphorisms go, that one is especially true when it comes to real estate. It’s a market wholly influenced by government policies, economic factors and global events often well outside the sector’s control, not least a historic, global pandemic such as Covid-19.

Precisely 12 months ago, the outlook for 2020 was optimistic following a strong year of investment (some €7.2 ...