The estate agent comparison site analysed the number of homes listed for sale across the property market in England and Wales between 20th April and 12th May 2020, the day before lockdown restrictions was eased and the property market was allowed to reopen. GetAgent then conducted the same analysis between 29th April and 12th May 2021, to see which areas of the market had seen the biggest revival in home seller activity.
GetAgent found a 279% increase when compared to the same time period a year ago, with 57,288 more homes now available to satisfy buyer demand.
In terms of the biggest boost to stock levels, there are now 946 more homes for sale across Birmingham than there were a year ago. Buckinghamshire has also seen one of the biggest turnarounds, with 901 more homes listed for sale now compared to when the market reopened.
Leeds (795), Liverpool (749) and Leicester (692) have also seen some of the biggest increases in home seller stock in terms of the sheer number of additional homes for sale.
Of course, with England and Wales home to so many diverse property pockets, the volume of new stock isn’t the only indicator of a market revival.
Harborough in Leicestershire has seen a 1,786% increase in the number of homes for sale now compared to a year ago. West Devon has also seen a huge increase at 1,475%, as has Breckland (1,033%).
Halton (933%), High Peak (873%), Hart (850%), Watford (821%), Oxford (800%), North East Derbyshire (789%) and Broxbourne (783%) have also seen some of the largest percentage increases in for sale stock since in the last year.
Colby Short, Founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, commented: “Given the record levels of house price growth in recent months and the huge levels of buyer demand, it’s easy to forget that things looked very different just a year ago.
"With the nation in lockdown, home seller stock levels plummeted and with the market shrouded in Covid uncertainty, the outlook was bleak, to say the least.
"However, the reopening of the market and the addition of a stamp duty holiday has spurred a meteoric return to health. This has been seen pretty much across the board, whether it be in the form of a substantial influx in stock volumes across the nation’s larger cities, or simply a more measured increase in smaller towns that actually equates to a notable jump in percentage terms.”
