The number of properties being sold subject to contract has increased by 5% so far this year versus the closing stages of 2022, according to research by GetAgent.

The research found that across England, 289,347 properties are currently sold subject to contract having accepted an offer. This is 13,967 more homes sold when compared to December – a boost of 5.1% in market activity.

However, while there has been an increase in the number of homes sold this year, the 289,347 current properties marked as sold subject to contract still sits some way below the 368,360 seen in March 2022.

Wiltshire has seen the biggest increase (44%) in the number of homes sold subject to contract when compared to the end of last year. West Sussex has also seen a notable increase, with 42% more homes securing a buyer in current market conditions versus December 2022.

Warwickshire (+41%), West Yorkshire (+40%), the West Midlands (+37%) and Worcestershire (+37%) are other regions with notable upticks in market activity, along with Staffordshire (+37%), South Yorkshire (+33%), Suffolk (+33%) and Surrey (+29%).

In contrast, Bedfordshire (-15%), London (-14%) and the Isle of Wight (-12%) have seen the largest reductions in the number of homes selling today versus the closing stages of 2022.

Mal McCallion, COO of GetAgent, commented: “Agents up and down the nation have been reporting a strong start to 2023 and it certainly seems as though this initial interest from buyers is now starting to convert, with a higher number of homes being marked as sold subject to contract.

“A surge in market activity when compared to the latter stages of 2022 bodes well for the year ahead and should bring reassurance to agents that it’s business as usual.”