€106m changed hands in land deals between August and September, including 9% in Cork 

Savills Ireland report shows €543m in transactions in first nine months of 2026

The Irish development land market has seen €543m in transactions in the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 61% on the €337m recorded in the same period last year, according to a new report.

The Irish development land market has seen €543m in transactions in the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 61% on the €337m recorded in the same period last year, according to a new report.

The Savills Ireland Q3 2026 report showed €106m worth of development land changed hands between August and September, supported by demand for residential development sites.

Some 20 transactions were completed between August and September, with an average deal value of €5m and a combined 228 acres traded.

Dublin continued to dominate activity, accounting for 80% of total transaction values, ahead of its five-year average of 70%. Cork represented a further 9% of the market, with the remaining activity spread across Carlow, Clare, Kildare, Louth, and Meath.

Residential development land accounted for 56% of transaction values during the quarter, across 16 deals, while mixed-use sites represented 43%. The largest transaction of the quarter was the €45 million sale of the 13.3-acre St Mary's Campus site in Co Dublin, which achieved a price 13% above its asking price despite not having planning permission in place.

"The development land market has performed well overall this year, with transaction values significantly ahead of 2025. Demand for residential sites remains the main driver of activity, particularly where planning permission is already secured and purchasers can move towards development without significant delays,” said John Swarbrigg of Savills Ireland.

However, just 41% of overall transaction values related to sites with planning permission, below the five-year average of 48%.

A quarter of all deals between July and September were valued below €1m, the highest proportion in this category since the third quarter of 2020. A further 55% of transactions were valued between €1m and €5m, while just 10% exceeded €10m.

"While Dublin continues to attract the majority of investment, we are also seeing sustained activity across regional markets, particularly Cork, Meath, Kildare, Wicklow and other locations across the midlands,” said Mr Swarbigg. “There is still a healthy appetite for well-located development land, although buyers are taking a disciplined approach to pricing and the underlying economics of individual schemes."

Savills cautioned that rising construction costs and moderating house price growth could challenge future development viability.