Over the last few weeks, a lot of my conversations have been with international buyers who are taking a serious look at Ireland as an option.

One challenge that comes up again and again is this: people naturally apply the logic of their home market to Ireland. How pricing works, how negotiations work, how long things take. It’s understandable, but it rarely translates cleanly here.

It’s also been interesting hearing people’s outside view of Ireland based on recent news coverage, particularly around localised flooding. The international reaction to that, and how it feeds into perceptions of risk, is often very different to what’s actually happening on the ground.

At the same time, I’ve spoken to a number of people who’ve spent up to two years searching for property in their own way. Some have agreed an extraordinary number of properties, hoping one would finally stick, without fully understanding why deals kept falling apart.

That’s usually a sign of people forcing the process rather than understanding it.

Every property in Ireland has its own story, whether we like it or not. Title, planning, timing, sellers, chains, neighbours, expectations. Ignoring that nuance almost always creates friction.

I’ve also had calls recently from agents lining up new stock, some of it coming on at fairly ambitious prices. It looks like a few owners are trying to ride the wave of the last 18 months. It’ll be interesting to see what the market actually supports once those properties are tested.

Which brings me to February.

January is a thinking month.

People reflect. Reset. Talk through ideas. Nothing feels fully committed yet. There’s space to explore without consequence.

February is different.

This is the month where intention turns into behaviour.

If you’re buying, you’re no longer just talking about locations and budgets. You’re applying them to real properties.
If you’re selling, you’re no longer “considering” the market. You’re engaging with it.

That’s where strategy starts to matter.

Not big, dramatic strategy.
Quiet, practical strategy.

This is also where people tend to slip.

Some try to force momentum. They push harder, bid more often, stretch further, hoping activity itself will deliver an outcome.

Others become passengers in a process they don’t fully understand. They follow advice, accept timelines, agree deals, without ever really knowing what’s driving the outcome.

Neither works particularly well.

February isn’t about speed.
It’s about positioning.

It’s about asking better questions before committing energy.

Does this property actually suit how I live, or just how I imagine living?
Do I understand the seller’s position, or am I guessing?
Am I moving because it’s right, or because I’m tired?

Those questions are uncomfortable, but they save time.

This is also the month where nuance matters most.

Ireland doesn’t operate on a single rulebook. Two houses on the same road can behave completely differently once you scratch the surface. Assuming otherwise is how people end up frustrated, confused, and blaming the market.

The buyers who do well in February are rarely the loudest or the fastest. They’re the ones who slow the process down just enough to see what’s really in front of them.

The sellers who do well are the ones who test the market honestly, rather than assuming last year’s conditions still apply unchanged.

February rewards people who are measured.

Not passive.
Measured.

You don’t need to decide everything this month. But you do need to understand what game you’re actually playing.

That’s the difference between making progress and just being busy.

And by the time spring arrives, that difference compounds quickly.