Homebuyer demand in England increased by 2% in the Q4, with an annual rise at 4.2%, according to the latest Homebuyer Hotspots Demand Index from GetAgent.
The index noted that demand for homes in England hit 45.9% in Q4 2024.
This change reflected a steady increase in buyer interest, with Hertfordshire seeing the largest quarterly rise of 4.8%, followed closely by Surrey at 4.6%.
Other notable areas included Bristol with a 4.4% increase, Wiltshire at 4.1%, and West Sussex at 3.8%.
On an annual basis, Bedfordshire recorded a significant demand surge of 10.4% compared to the same time last year.
Other regions with notable annual increases included Leicestershire at 8.4%, Cheshire at 7.2%, and both Northamptonshire and Tyne and Wear at 6.9%.
Colby Short, co-founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, said: “2024 proved to be a positive year for the property market, however, we simply didn’t see the reduction in interest rates expected and this meant that mortgage rates remained far higher than today’s buyers have become accustomed to in recent years.
“Whilst this will have certainly continued to restrict homebuyers financially, it certainly didn’t dampen their enthusiasm and we’ve seen the market rally in Q4, with an increase in demand levels pretty much across the board.
Short added: “Of course, one significant reason for this will be the Autumn Budget and the stamp duty deadline imposed as a result of the government’s failure to extend current relief thresholds.
“We expect this will continue to drive demand over the coming months, with a correction seen in Q2 of next year, albeit this correction should only be momentary.”
