Bradford retained its title as the UK’s top property hotspot between May and July 2025, according to research from OnTheMarket, part of CoStar Group.
The OnTheMarket Hotspots Index compared the number of properties for sale with the amount of interest in each area over three months.
Bradford retained the top spot for the third period in a row, after leading in both previous reports.
Coventry saw one of the biggest jumps in the rankings, moving from ninth to second place after a rise in enquiries.
Stoke-on-Trent entered the top 10, climbing from twelfth to ninth.
Barnsley slipped out of the top 10 and is now in fifteenth place.
Other big movers included Luton, which went from twenty-second to eleventh, Southampton up from twenty-fifth to sixteenth, Slough from thirty-sixth to twentieth, and Oxford from thirtieth to seventeenth.
Swindon dropped from twentieth to thirty-fourth.
Brighton was the ‘coldest’ spot in the country, swapping places with Southend-on-Sea, which rose three spots.
Bristol fell eight places and entered the bottom ten for the first time.
Jason Tebb, president of OnTheMarket, said: “Once again, the north/south divide is holding firm, with the top of the list dominated by some of the most vibrant and best-value locations in the north of England, where we find the most heat in terms of activity.
“Conversely, at the foot of the table the southern seaside towns with comparatively higher average property values are to be found, such as Worthing, Southend-on-Sea and Bournemouth.
“Despite five interest rate reductions in the past year, along with many lenders easing their criteria, the continued high cost of living means affordability is still a concern for many.”
Tebb added: “As a result, buyers are favouring those locations where their money will go further. However, despite strong wage growth, average property values have also increased, making it difficult for many to bridge the gap.”
In London, the market was more stable, with Barking and Dagenham moving into first place, swapping with City of London, which dropped to second.
The rest of the top 10 boroughs saw only minor changes in position, with no new entries or exits.
Lambeth remained at the bottom for the third period in a row.
