Bradford has been named the leading property hotspot in the country for the second consecutive quarter, according to OnTheMarket.

The property portal’s Hotspots Index for the second quarter of the year is based on a proprietary algorithm that compares property leads and online property searches, against available property stock, to rank how active, or ‘hot,’ a particular area’s housing market is. Locations with high interest and low levels of stock top the index over markets that have higher numbers of available properties relative to interest.

Based on the data, Blackpool edged into second place (fifth in Q1), while Rochdale moved up into third place (23^rd in Q1).

Fourth-placed Plymouth, the only southern location in the top five, has also seen a considerable jump from 22^nd place in Q1. Leicester is a new entrant into the top five, from 9^th in Q1.

Overall, the north/south divide is holding firm, with some of the most vibrant and cheapest locations in the north seeing the most heat in terms of housing market activity and only one southern location making it into our top ten.

Jason Tebb, president of OnTheMarket, said: “Property buying decisions continue to be heavily influenced by affordability, according to our latest Hotspots Index, which reveals that some of the most active or ‘hottest’ areas also offer buyers the best value.”

He continued: “Overall, the north/south divide is holding firm, with some of the most vibrant and cheapest locations in the north seeing the most heat in terms of housing market activity and only one southern location making it into our top ten.

“None of this comes as any surprise after 14 increases in base rate since December 2021, followed by seven meetings where the Bank has voted to maintain interest rates at 5.25%. As well as higher borrowing costs, the post-pandemic shift towards working from home at least part of the week means buyers can consider areas further away from city centres, which tend to be less pricey.”

Other notable big movers in the index include Wakefield, which has jumped from 30^th to 9^th place and Birmingham which has jumped from 23^rd to 43^rd.

Moving in the other direction, demand in Wigan has cooled significantly, dropping from second to 15^th place in our rankings, while Liverpool has fallen from 11^th place in Q1 to 30^th. Worthing, one of the few southern locations to be considered a hotspot, fell from 20^th to 53^rd place. The ‘coolest’ hotspot on our list is Brighton.

In the London boroughs there has been less fluctuation than nationally and very little movement. Newham has entered the top five for the first time, moving from 10^th in Q1 to 5^th. Meanwhile, Hounslow dropped out of the top five, moving from 4^th in Q2 to 9^th in Q1 and several, including Lambeth, Southwark and Merton, all dropped four places.”