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

Breaking News

Why capital is staying in London despite a cooling housing market

By Joe Freedman, Head of Origination at ASK Partners London isn’t suffering from a lack of housing demand. It’s suffering from a failure to deliver. New data from Molior underlines the scale of that failure. Just 5,547 private homes broke ground across the capital last year, an 84% drop from a decade ago. Against an…
Read More
Breaking News

The hidden risk of overvaluing your home when moving in today’s market

With many homeowners turning ambitious conversations into tangible moving plans, the start of the year traditionally marks a surge in activity, particularly for families planning for the future. While the property market remains fundamentally healthy, experts at Beresfords say overvaluing property is one issue that continues to undermine the progress of those looking to sell.…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove launches next phase of AI-powered property search

Rightmove, the UK’s largest property platform, has launched a beta version of AI-powered conversational property search, as it continues to enhance its property search experience. In close collaboration with Google Cloud and built with Google’s Gemini models, conversational search is available via the property search bar on Rightmove’s website homepage. The latest move further expands…
Read More
Breaking News

Should you break things off with your mortgage lender this Valentine’s Day?

As Valentine’s Day approaches, the latest research from award-winning mortgage adviser, Alexander Hall, has revealed that more than half of homeowners approaching the end of a fixed-rate mortgage are currently undecided on their relationship with their lender, despite notable improvements across the mortgage market over the last 12 months. The consumer insight, commissioned by Alexander…
Read More
Breaking News

UK Finance Mortgage arrears and possessions Q4 2025

UK Finance today releases its latest mortgage arrears and possessions data for Q4 2025, while highlighting continuing lender support for any customers facing financial difficulty. Key Information The number of homeowner mortgages in arrears fell by four per cent in Q3 2025 compared to the previous quarter. The number of buy-to-let (BTL) mortgages in arrears…
Read More
Breaking News

Property compliance experts urge landlords not to ignore major tenancy changes under Renters’ Rights Act

Beresfords property group highlights key actions landlords must take as new tenancy rules, enforcement powers and energy standards approach. UK landlords are being warned not to overlook major changes to tenancy agreements and compliance requirements, as the Government moves closer to implementing the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Following the publication of draft secondary legislation, the…
Read More