Manchester has begun 2026 as one of the UK’s most searched-for locations, while nearby Wigan, which is part of Greater Manchester, has been named one of England’s best prospects for house price growth.
The latest Rightmove data shows Manchester was the second most-searched UK city in 2025, just behind London, highlighting how demand for the city remains high.
At the same time, new analysis from Zoopla has revealed that Wigan is predicted to be one of the UK’s ‘hottest property markets’ in 2026 and is the only English spot to feature in the top 10.
Overall, the portals’ data suggest that the strongest momentum in the housing market in 2026 will come from areas where affordability is not overstretched, and demand is strong enough to ensure homes are selling without the need for large reductions.
Manchester near top of buyer search lists
Because Rightmove captures buyer interest at the beginning of the sales process, before an offer has been made, its data is widely used as an early indicator of future transactions.
In 2025, Manchester was the second most-searched UK city on the portal, behind only London, and ahead of cities including Bristol, Edinburgh and Bath.
Rightmove’s property expert Colleen Babcock said the data reflects where buyer attention is concentrated, adding: “With billions of minutes spent on Rightmove each year, we have a unique window into the nation’s passion for property.”
The top 10 most-searched UK cities in 2025 were:
- London
- Manchester
- Glasgow
- Bristol
- Edinburgh
- York
- Bath
- Cornwall
- Liverpool
- Sheffield
Wigan is England’s top-ranked hotspot on Zoopla
While Rightmove’s data shows where buyers are looking, Zoopla’s analysis focuses on which markets are best positioned to perform strongly in 2026.
To do this, Zoopla assessed a range of housing market indicators, including affordability, how quickly homes are selling, asking price reductions and the number of properties that have been on the market for more than six months.
These factors were then ranked across 120 different UK postcode areas to help identify which were likely deliver the strongest results in 2026.
The resulting list was dominated by Scotland, with nine of the top 10 areas north of the border. Wigan, however, was the exception.
It was the only English area to make the list, with Zoopla highlighting its low number of unsold homes, fewer price reductions, and faster price growth conditions. Wigan’s average house price is currently at £175,800.
In the England-only rankings, Zoopla says Liverpool came next, followed by Stoke-on-Trent.
Zoopla executive director Richard Donnell said: “Whether you’re buying or selling, local housing market conditions matter more than ever when making housing decisions in 2026.”
He expects price growth to be slower, though, across lower-ranked markets, “particularly across parts of southern England and London”.
Donnell adds, though, that improving affordability means the outlook in London is “more positive than in recent years”.
The UK’s top 10 housing hotspots for 2026 (Zoopla)
- Motherwell – £134,700
- Glasgow – £163,600
- Paisley – £139,500
- Falkirk – £170,600
- Kirkcaldy – £171,400
- Edinburgh – £251,500
- Kilmarnock – £126,200
- Perth – £206,200
- Inverness – £207,100
- Wigan – £175,800
It is not often that the big portals’ views converge, but it is good news for investors in the Greater Manchester area.
