Newmarket tops supply shortage hotspots as home sales surge by 79%

Love or Hate Rightmove
  • Newmarket in Suffolk is revealed as the top new supply shortage hotspot, seeing the biggest gap over the past year between the number of homes selling and new sellers coming to market:
    • The number of sales being agreed in the town is up by 79% on last July, while new sellers putting their properties up for sale is down by 49%
  • The top ten new supply shortage hotspots are all in South East and East of England, with average asking prices in three of the hotspots – Newmarket, Berkhamsted and Bushey – up by 9% since 2019
  • Nationally the average number of available properties on an agent’s books is 16, down from 29 in July 2020
  • The shortage areas could provide an opportunity for homeowners considering a move to take action now while stock is low and demand is high

New data from the UK’s biggest property website Rightmove reveals the new supply shortage hotspots around England.

The rankings are calculated based on the biggest changes in the number of homes being marked sold subject to contract and the number of new sellers putting their homes up for sale, compared to July last year.

Newmarket in Suffolk tops the list, which has seen a surge of 79% in sales agreed over the last year, and a 49% drop in new sellers coming to market.

Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire came in second place, with a surge of 58% in sales being agreed, and a drop of 57% in new sellers. Witney in Oxfordshire takes the third spot with sales up 51% and new sellers down 59%.

The stock shortage is being felt across the country, with the average available stock per agent on Rightmove dropping from 29 in July 2020 to just 16 properties now. Around two third of properties have already found a buyer, and some of the hotter areas like Newmarket are seeing a higher rate of three quarters of homes already sold subject to contract.

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s Director of Property Data comments: “If we think back to July last year the market in England had been open again for around six weeks, the stamp duty holiday was announced, and a summer frenzy was just beginning. 12 months on, the combination of fewer sellers coming to market and sustained demand has resulted in a summer seller shortfall, and so the challenge for agents now is to try and replenish the stock to meet the demand from buyers. For those considering coming to market this year, now could be the time to find out what your home could be worth from a local agent.”

 

Location

 

% drop in number of new sellers versus July 2020 % rise in number of sales agreed versus July 2020 Average

Asking Price

July 2021

Average Asking Price July 2019

 

Average Asking Price change versus July 2019

 

Newmarket, Suffolk -49% 79% £320,043 £294,656 +9%
Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire -57% 58% £694,085 £636,055 +9%
Witney, Oxfordshire -59% 51% £347,798 £330,011 +5%
High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire -53% 55% £363,245 £349,043 +4%
St. Ives, Cambridgeshire -56% 49% £308,187 £294,018 +5%
Weybridge, Surrey -53% 49% £932,526 £961,008 -3%
Bushey, Hertfordshire -49% 53% £583,514 £536,083 +9%
Egham, Surrey -60% 41% £495,844 £472,470 +5%
Marlow, Buckinghamshire -58% 43% £726,383 £688,195 +6%
Farnborough, Hampshire -54% 45% £364,757 £354,849 +3%

Rightmove

UK Property news updates shared directly from Rightmove PLC - the country's leading property portal.

You May Also Enjoy

Damaged timber from Dry Rot
Estate Agent Talk

Mould and damp – what you need to know ahead of winter

With the winter months just round the corner, problems with damp and mould can become far more prominent. Autumntime is when many people turn on central heating systems and choose to close windows, preventing fresh air ventilation needed to allow damp air to leave a property. Unfortunately, the combination of warm and damp air can…
Read More
Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – September 2025

London and South East see biggest dips in required rental salary year-on-year London and the South East saw the sharpest dips year-on-year in the average salary needed in order to rent the average home in that area. London saw a 4.2% drop, whilst the South East saw a decline of 2.9%. Yorkshire and Humberside saw…
Read More
buying at auction uk
Breaking News

The cities where buying beats renting – with just a 5% deposit

British first-time buyer mortgage payments are typically 17% cheaper than renting, even with a low 5% deposit The average 5% deposit is £11,412 based on a typical first-time buyer property price of £228,233 Among major cities outside London, the biggest gap between owning and renting is in Glasgow, where buyers could save more than £4,750…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove’s Weekly Mortgage Rates Tracker

Average rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Average rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 4.51% +0.00% -0.37% 5-year fixed 4.55% +0.01% +0.01%   Lowest rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Lowest rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 3.77% +0.05% -0.07% 5-year fixed 3.97% +0.10% +0.29%   Average…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Data and commentary from Rightmove on stamp duty reforms

Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert said: “We’ve been calling for stamp duty reform for some time now, as it’s a significant barrier for many people moving home. Abolishing it completely would remove one of the biggest barriers to moving, unlocking more moves at all stages of the property ladder. “Our data shows that only 5%…
Read More
Breaking News

Second-time buyers dominate demand for longer term fixed mortgage deals

Second-time buyers are dominating demand for longer term fixed mortgage deals, fresh data from Moneyfacts Analyser can reveal. Of those looking for fixed term deals on moneyfactscompare.co.uk: Almost two-thirds (58%) of second-time buyers who compared mortgage deals using the moneyfactscompare.co.uk website were considering terms of three years or longer in the 30 days to 1…
Read More