The UK’s shared ownership hotspots

Estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, has looked at where across the UK is home to the highest demand for shared ownership housing.

Shared ownership is a more affordable route to getting onto the UK property ladder and while it isn’t as popular as buying outright, it does have a number of additional benefits for buyers such as a smaller deposit, the potential to increase equity over time and a cheaper monthly cost.

GetAgent.co.uk looked at where was home to the largest amount of shared ownership property for sale across the UK’s major cities and which cities had the largest homebuyer appetite for shared ownership homes based on buyer demand across listings on Zoopla.

Most shared ownership homes

When it comes to straight-up stock levels, it’s evident that shared ownership is a niche route to homeownership with just 0.9% of all stock listed for sale across the UK’s major cities falling into the shared ownership category.

Cambridge was home to the highest amount of shared ownership housing for sale with 5.4% of all stock listed for sale falling into the category, followed by London (2.1%), Plymouth (1.7%), Birmingham (1.4%) and Southampton (1.3%).

The most in-demand shared ownership hotspots 

On average, demand for shared ownership properties listed across the UK’s major cities sits at 32% based on the ratio of homes under offer or sold subject to contract as a percentage of all homes listed for sale.

When it comes to the highest buyer demand for shared ownership properties, Sheffield tops the table with a huge 60% of all shared ownership properties listed for sale, already under offer or sold subject to contract.

Leeds ranks second with demand at 54%, followed by Nottingham (54%), Plymouth (50%) and Birmingham (45%).

Founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, Colby Short, commented:

“Previously we’ve seen a stigma of sorts surrounding shared ownership but it can be a great way to get on the ladder, albeit only partially, for those that would otherwise be stuck in the rental sector due to affordability issues.

In fact, the research shows that this negative perception may no longer be the case as demand for shared ownership property is actually very high in the majority of UK cities where affordability is often at its lowest.

However, the level of shared ownership stock remains minute compared to the wider market and we could certainly benefit from a greater level of shared ownership availability as there is clearly an appetite for it.”

Rankings – shared as a % of total properties
City
Shared – as % of total
Cambridge
5.4%
London
2.1%
Plymouth
1.7%
Birmingham
1.4%
Southampton
1.3%
Oxford
1.2%
Portsmouth
1.2%
Bournemouth
1.0%
Leeds
1.0%
Liverpool
0.9%
Manchester
0.8%
Leicester
0.8%
Bristol
0.6%
Nottingham
0.6%
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
0.4%
Newport
0.3%
Sheffield
0.3%
Swansea
0.1%
Cardiff
0.0%
Glasgow
0.0%
Edinburgh
0.0%
Aberdeen
0.0%
Belfast
0.0%
Average:
0.9%
Rankings – shared demand
City
Shared – demand
Sheffield
60.0%
Leeds
54.0%
Nottingham
53.8%
Plymouth
50.0%
Birmingham
44.9%
Southampton
44.8%
Bristol
43.8%
Leicester
42.9%
Bournemouth
37.5%
Liverpool
35.8%
Manchester
29.7%
Oxford
28.6%
Portsmouth
26.7%
Newport
25.0%
Cambridge
20.0%
London
20.0%
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
16.7%
Cardiff
0.0%
Swansea
0.0%
Glasgow
0.0%
Aberdeen
x
Belfast
x
Edinburgh
x
Average:
31.7%

Properganda PR

National and local media coverage for property businesses. Journo quotes delivered in minutes.

You May Also Enjoy

Damaged timber from Dry Rot
Estate Agent Talk

Mould and damp – what you need to know ahead of winter

With the winter months just round the corner, problems with damp and mould can become far more prominent. Autumntime is when many people turn on central heating systems and choose to close windows, preventing fresh air ventilation needed to allow damp air to leave a property. Unfortunately, the combination of warm and damp air can…
Read More
Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – September 2025

London and South East see biggest dips in required rental salary year-on-year London and the South East saw the sharpest dips year-on-year in the average salary needed in order to rent the average home in that area. London saw a 4.2% drop, whilst the South East saw a decline of 2.9%. Yorkshire and Humberside saw…
Read More
buying at auction uk
Breaking News

The cities where buying beats renting – with just a 5% deposit

British first-time buyer mortgage payments are typically 17% cheaper than renting, even with a low 5% deposit The average 5% deposit is £11,412 based on a typical first-time buyer property price of £228,233 Among major cities outside London, the biggest gap between owning and renting is in Glasgow, where buyers could save more than £4,750…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove’s Weekly Mortgage Rates Tracker

Average rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Average rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 4.51% +0.00% -0.37% 5-year fixed 4.55% +0.01% +0.01%   Lowest rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Lowest rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 3.77% +0.05% -0.07% 5-year fixed 3.97% +0.10% +0.29%   Average…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Data and commentary from Rightmove on stamp duty reforms

Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert said: “We’ve been calling for stamp duty reform for some time now, as it’s a significant barrier for many people moving home. Abolishing it completely would remove one of the biggest barriers to moving, unlocking more moves at all stages of the property ladder. “Our data shows that only 5%…
Read More
Breaking News

Second-time buyers dominate demand for longer term fixed mortgage deals

Second-time buyers are dominating demand for longer term fixed mortgage deals, fresh data from Moneyfacts Analyser can reveal. Of those looking for fixed term deals on moneyfactscompare.co.uk: Almost two-thirds (58%) of second-time buyers who compared mortgage deals using the moneyfactscompare.co.uk website were considering terms of three years or longer in the 30 days to 1…
Read More