Homebuyers see boost in ‘negotiating power’ amid jump in listings
Yopa's Verona Frankish says the property market is showing real signs of growth this year, with the number of homes for sale well up.
Buyers are enjoying a boost in “negotiating power” due to an increase of more properties being listed for sale, according to new research.
The findings by Yopa suggested that a total of 6.3% more homes are for sale in England compared to the start of the year.
Verona Frankish, Chief Executive Officer at Yopa (pictured), says this uplift in stock brings “greater negotiating power and more opportunity to find the right property”.
More property listings
Some counties in England are seeing increases of more than 16%, “showcasing growing seller confidence in a market that is on the up”, the hybrid agency says.
An estimated 471,619 homes are currently listed on the market in March. It marks an annual increase of 3.3% compared to March 2025, and is up 6.3% compared to the turn of the year.
In Bristol, there are 16.7% more properties for sale than at the start of 2026, while in Hertfordshire, the increase stands at 16.1%.
This is followed by Surrey at 15.5%, Buckinghamshire at 14.9%, and Wiltshire at 14.1%, while double-digit growth has also been recorded in Berkshire at 12.6%, Cambridgeshire at 12.5%, Hampshire at 12.2%, Oxfordshire at 12.2%, and Bedfordshire at 11.3%.
The only counties to have seen the number of listings fall since the start of the year are Staffordshire with a drop of 1.6%, Shropshire down 1.4%, South Yorkshire down 1.2%, Lancashire down 1%, and Lincolnshire down 0.2%.
England’s housing market is showing real signs of growth in 2026.”
Frankish explains: “England’s housing market is showing real signs of growth in 2026, with listings well up on the start of the year.
“What we’re seeing is renewed seller confidence translating into greater choice for buyers, which is helping to rebalance what has been a supply-constrained market in recent times,” she says.
“Indeed, for buyers, this uplift in stock brings greater negotiating power and more opportunity to find the right property, but the best homes are still attracting significant attention.
“Overall, this increase in supply is a positive step towards a more balanced and fluid market.”
