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

how to present your property for sale
Breaking News

Property values hit £300k for first time

The latest Halifax House Price Index for January 2025. On a monthly basis, house prices increased by 0.7% between December and January, reversing the decline of -0.5% seen between November and December of last year.   Annually, house prices were up 1% versus this time last year, with this annual rate of growth accelerating when…
Read More
Breaking News

Average UK house price rises at the start of 2026

• House prices increased by +0.7% in January, following a -0.5% fall in December • Average property price is now £300,077, rising above £300k for the first time • Annual growth at +1.0%, up from +0.4% in December • Regional differences in house price performance have become more pronounced   Amanda Bryden, Head of Mortgages,…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

London basements boost value by up to 20%

The latest market analysis by prime London property brokerage, Jefferies London, reveals that London homebuyers who want to secure a property with a basement face a tough task. Not only do these much sought-after spaces increase a property’s value by up to 20%, but they’re also incredibly rare, found in only 2% of the capital’s…
Read More
Breaking News

Bailey applies the brakes but ‘two more 2026 cuts priced in’

Vote to hold rates ‘closer than expected’ as Bank of England eyes April for 2% inflation target Focus turns to US and Japan in impact they play on shape of global investment flows says Rathbones’ Head of Market Analysis Kirsten Pettigrew, Senior Financial Planner, warns of making financial decisions based on speculation around rate trajectories…
Read More
bank of england interest rate
Breaking News

Bank of England to hold interest rates at 3.75%

Following the Bank of England’s decision to hold interest rates at 3.75%, here are some thoughts from the Industry. Matt Smith, Rightmove’s mortgages expert says: “Today’s Bank Rate hold was widely expected given underlying inflation and wage growth data, and it’s currently likely we’ll see the next Bank Rate cut in June. Average mortgage rates…
Read More
Breaking News

Building Safety Approval Process Urgently Needs Fixing

Bradley Lay, a Leading Construction M&A Expert Calls on Government to Urgently Fix Building Safety Approval Process as Insolvencies Surge A leading UK construction expert has called on the Government to urgently reassess the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) approval process, warning that delays in the current system are “slowly killing the economy”, triggering thousands of…
Read More