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

small house bird box
Estate Agent Talk

Families can move up the property ladder by paying 1% more in this city

Families in Suffolk can take a significant step up the property ladder with minimal financial stretch, as the team at Suffolk Pocket Door Company reveal that upgrading from a terraced house to a semi-detached home in West Suffolk costs just 1% more on average. Here Carl Benson, owner of Suffolk Pocket Door Company comments. Why…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 20/02/25

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. Roome celebrates four years of helping students and growing universities’ revenue James Buck, co-founder of Roome sums up the 48-month journey so far, ‘Four years ago, we launched an app Owen Redman and I wished we had at university – a tool to make shared living not…
Read More
Overseas Property

How to Find an Experienced Wedding Photographer in Greece

Choosing the Right Photographer Your wedding day is one of the most important moments of your life, and capturing it perfectly requires an experienced photographer. Greece offers stunning locations, from whitewashed villages to breathtaking sunsets. But how do you find the right professional to document your big day? Research and Recommendations Start by researching online.…
Read More
Breaking News

Tenants Struggle as Shortage of Rental Housing Continues

Private sector tenants are continuing to struggle as new data highlights an ongoing shortage of homes to rent. Almost eight in ten landlords (77 per cent) across England and Wales reported strong demand from prospective tenants in the final quarter of 2024 according to research from Pegasus Insights. The data, compiled for the National Residential…
Read More
Breaking News

New Platform Will Make Tackling Criminal Landlords Easier

Private sector tenants will find it easier to hold criminal landlords to account thanks to a new online platform being launched in Parliament today. The ‘My Housing Issue’ Gateway, designed by the TDS Charitable Foundation, will ensure tenants know where to take complaints related to rented housing. Research by the Foundation has found that 50…
Read More
Breaking News

Continued growth recorded in auctioneering sector – Propertymark Auction Barometer

53% of members said that the number of lots exceeding their reserve price increased in Q4 2024 compared to the previous quarter. Only 12% reported a decrease. The highest percentage of those surveyed (41%) said that the number of lots available (for all auction types) increased in Q4 2024 in comparison to Q3. Members reported…
Read More