If you've been following the national news recently, you could be forgiven for thinking the UK housing market is struggling.

Headlines have focused on falling transactions, affordability pressures and cautious buyers. Yet when you look beyond the headlines and examine the data, a much more balanced picture emerges.

As someone who works in the Stratford-upon-Avon property market every day, I believe it's important to separate perception from reality.

So, how does our local market compare with the rest of the country?

To answer that, I've compared Q2 2026 (April to June) with both Q2 2025, which represented a strong post-pandemic market, and Q2 2023, when rising mortgage rates and weaker buyer confidence created much tougher trading conditions.

The results are fascinating.

National Market: More Homes, Similar Prices

One of the simplest ways to judge the health of the property market is to look at the number of homes coming onto the market.

Across the UK, 488,933 homes were listed for sale during Q2 2026.

That compares with:

484,974 in Q2 2025
411,927 in Q2 2023

Supply has clearly recovered since 2023, yet the average asking price has barely changed.

Q2 2023: £436,000
Q2 2025: £449,000
Q2 2026: £447,000

That tells us sellers remain confident, despite a more competitive market.

However, the number of new listings only tells part of the story.

The real question is whether buyers are keeping pace.

More Homes... But More Competition

Average UK stock levels now stand at 746,300 homes for sale.

That compares with:

743,100 in Q2 2025
605,500 in Q2 2023

So buyers now have around 140,000 more homes to choose from than they did just three years ago.

Demand remains healthy.

During Q2 2026, 311,678 homes sold subject to contract, compared with:

327,023 in Q2 2025
283,817 in Q2 2023

That means sales are almost 10% higher than 2023.

At first glance that sounds encouraging.

But here's the important point.

Sales have increased by 9.8%...

...while the number of homes available has increased by 23.3%.

In other words...

The market hasn't lost buyers.

It's gained competition.

That distinction matters enormously.

Why Pricing Has Become So Important

This is why pricing strategy has become such a critical factor.

Three years ago buyers had fewer options.

Today they have thousands more.

That means sellers are no longer competing against yesterday's market...

They're competing against every similar home currently available.

The homes attracting attention are those that arrive on the market:

correctly priced
beautifully presented
professionally marketed

The rest simply become part of the growing stock of unsold property.

So How Does Stratford-upon-Avon Compare?

This is where things become particularly interesting.

New Instructions

Q2 2023: 500
Q2 2025: 528
Q2 2026: 517

That's only a 3.4% increase over three years.

Nationally, new listings increased by almost 19%.

So Stratford-upon-Avon hasn't seen anything like the same growth in supply.

Homes Available

Average homes for sale:

747 (Q2 2023)
780 (Q2 2025)
842 (Q2 2026)

That's an increase of around 13%.

Again...

Lower than the UK's 23% increase.

Sales Agreed

Demand tells an equally positive story.

Homes sold subject to contract:

289 (Q2 2023)
364 (Q2 2025)
316 (Q2 2026)

While activity has cooled from the exceptionally strong 2025 market, Stratford-upon-Avon is still recording around 9% more agreed sales than in 2023.

That broadly mirrors the national picture...

...but with significantly less additional competition.

That is an encouraging sign for local homeowners.

The Real Story Isn't Demand...

It's Competition.

This is probably the most important conclusion from all of the data.

The Stratford-upon-Avon property market isn't suffering from a shortage of buyers.

It is operating in a market where buyers simply have more choice.

That makes strategy more important than ever.

Nationally, only around one in every two homes ultimately sells and completes.

Research also shows that more than 80% of homes that successfully sold in 2026 never needed a price reduction.

That isn't because they were cheap.

It's because they were launched correctly.

What This Means If You're Thinking of Moving

If you're considering moving in Stratford-upon-Avon, I don't believe the current market should put you off.

In fact, it's a market that continues to reward sellers who prepare properly.

The homeowners achieving the best results today are those who:

understand the competition
launch at a realistic asking price
present their home to the highest standard
work with an agent who actively manages the sale from start to finish

Pricing isn't about chasing the highest figure.

It's about creating enough interest to generate viewings, competition and ultimately the best possible outcome.

The evidence suggests Stratford-upon-Avon continues to compare favourably with the national market.

However, success still depends on getting the basics right.

If you're thinking of moving and would like an honest, data-led conversation about where your home sits in today's Stratford-upon-Avon market, I'd be delighted to help.