UK house prices near record highs but stock stays tight: what sellers need to know in 2026

Why prices are holding near record highs despite a patchy market

If you've been watching the property pages this year, you'll have noticed a slightly confusing picture: headlines about "record" or "near-record" average prices sitting alongside stories of low stock and cautious buyers. Both things are true at once, and understanding why matters if you're thinking about buying, selling, or just working out whether now is a sensible time to move.

Official measures like the ONS House Price Index and Land Registry's Price Paid Data track completed sales, so they tend to lag the live market by a couple of months. REalyse data, drawn from the same Land Registry transaction records alongside live listings activity, shows average sold prices over the past 12 months ranging from around £267,000 for flats up to roughly £498,000 for detached houses nationally. Detached and bungalow prices have been broadly flat to slightly up year-on-year, while flats have seen a more noticeable pullback in average sold price - a reminder that "the market" is really several different markets moving at different speeds depending on property type and location.

The headline figure that gets most attention - the national average price - is really a blend of these segments. When demand for houses (semis, terraces, detached) holds up better than demand for flats, the overall average can look stronger than what an individual seller of a particular property type is actually experiencing.

The supply story: why "low stock" doesn't mean "no stock"

The other half of the story is supply. For much of the past couple of years, commentary from Rightmove and Zoopla has pointed to fewer homes coming to market than in a typical pre-2020 year, which has helped support prices even as mortgage rates have made affordability tighter for many buyers.

REalyse's listings data shows this plays out unevenly by property type. Detached houses and flats currently have the largest pools of active listings nationally, while bungalows have a noticeably smaller number of homes on the market. That relative scarcity in certain segments - fewer bungalows and family houses in some areas relative to buyer demand - is part of what's kept pricing power with sellers in those categories, even in a market that overall feels more balanced than during the frenzied conditions of 2021-2022.

For buyers, this means the "low stock" story isn't universal. If you're searching for a specific property type or in a specific postcode district, it's worth checking whether that segment is genuinely short of supply or just feels that way because you've seen a few competitive bidding stories in the news.

What this means for first-time buyers and renters

If you're a first-time buyer, tight supply in popular property types (typically terraces and semis in commutable areas) means you may still face competition for well-presented, realistically priced homes, even if the overall market feels calmer than the headlines suggest. Mortgage affordability - how much you can borrow against your income and deposit - remains the binding constraint for most first-time buyers, arguably more so than the availability of stock itself. It's worth getting a mortgage agreement in principle before you start viewing seriously, so you can move quickly when the right property appears.

For renters weighing up the rent-vs-buy decision, remember that a slower-moving sales market doesn't necessarily translate into cheaper rents. The two markets respond to different pressures - rental supply and demand, versus sales supply and mortgage costs - so it's worth checking local rental trends separately rather than assuming one follows the other.

How fast are well-priced homes actually selling?

This is where realistic expectations matter most for anyone thinking of listing this year. REalyse's days-on-market data across property types over the past 12 months shows an average ranging from around 78 days for semi-detached homes and 80 days for terraced houses, up to closer to 100 days for flats and bungalows.

That gap is meaningful. A semi-detached or terraced house that's priced in line with recent local sold prices is, on average, selling noticeably faster than a flat or bungalow. Several factors likely contribute: leasehold complexities and service charges can slow flat sales, while bungalows often appeal to a narrower buyer pool (typically older downsizers), which can extend marketing time even where supply is limited.

The practical takeaway: "well-priced" is doing a lot of work in that 78-100 day range. Homes that sit noticeably above recent local sold prices - rather than asking prices, which can be aspirational - tend to sit on the market far longer than these averages, often requiring a price reduction before they attract serious offers.

Setting a realistic asking price in 2026

Given record or near-record average prices in some segments, it can be tempting to price ambitiously. But the data suggests a more measured approach pays off:

• Benchmark against sold prices, not asking prices. Recent completed sales (available via Land Registry data and reflected in REalyse's local market reports) tell you what buyers have actually paid, not what other sellers hoped to achieve. This is the single most reliable pricing anchor available.

• Check your property type's local time-on-market trend. If flats or bungalows in your area are taking longer to sell than the national averages above, factor that into your timeline expectations, especially if you're also buying and need to coordinate a chain.

• Factor in EPC and energy efficiency. Buyers and mortgage lenders are increasingly attentive to a property's Energy Performance Certificate rating, and homes rated D or below can face more buyer questions about future upgrade costs (insulation, heating systems) even before minimum energy efficiency standards for rental properties are considered. A pre-sale EPC check, and being ready to explain any upgrades already made, can smooth negotiations.

• Price for your actual competition, not the national average. If REalyse or local agent data shows a good supply of similar homes in your postcode district, buyers have more choice and more room to negotiate. In tighter segments, a realistic asking price can still attract multiple interested buyers.

Outlook: a market of pockets, not one national story

Heading through the rest of 2026, the most useful mindset for both buyers and sellers is to stop thinking about "the UK housing market" as a single thing. National averages are a useful headline, but the real decisions - what to offer, what to ask, how long to expect a sale to take - depend on your specific property type and local area.

Sellers who price close to recent comparable sales, present their home well, and have their EPC and paperwork in order are still finding buyers relatively quickly in several segments. Those hoping record national averages will support an ambitious asking price, particularly for flats where prices have softened, may find the market less forgiving. For buyers and renters alike, keeping an eye on local data rather than national headlines remains the best way to judge whether a particular deal, or a particular moment, makes sense.

If you're weighing up what your own home might be worth in today's market, REalyse Pulse's valuation tool can give you a data-backed starting point based on recent local comparables.