OnTheMarket’s data shows that Bradford is currently the UK’s top property-selling location for estate agencies.

And, apart from Q3 when Bradford was nudged off the top spot by Newcastle, its appeal has proved enduring, as it was also number one during the first and second quarters of last year.

The portal’s Hotspots Index looks at the number of available sales properties and compares that against the volume of onsite activity, creating a score that represents the intensity of interest in that area.

Affordability factor

OnTheMarket says that, with property buying decisions heavily influenced by affordability, Bradford’s dominance may be due to buyers priced out of Leeds favouring the neighbouring and more affordable West Yorkshire city.

At the opposite end of the table, estate agencies in Middlesbrough may be less happy; its sales numbers have fallen significantly, dropping from 11th to 21st place in the rankings, while Slough has fallen from 27th place in Q4 to 37th.

Bottom spot

Bournemouth, one of the few southern locations that could be considered a hotspot, fell from 45th to 50th place and at the very bottom of the table was Southend-on-Sea.

Buyers have more flexibility and can reasonably consider locations further away.”

There has been less fluctuation in the London boroughs than there has been nationally. The City of London remains the top hotspot for sales and Barking and Dagenham held onto second place for a consecutive quarter.

Hounslow has now entered the top ten, while Richmond has moved in the other direction, falling from 9th in Q3 to 12th in Q4.

Overall, it is the more affordable areas that are the most active. Jason Tebb, president of OnTheMarket, says: “As well as higher borrowing costs, the post-pandemic shift towards working from home at least part of the week means buyers have more flexibility and can reasonably consider locations further away from city centres, which tend to be cheaper.”