Buyer demand across England crept up by 0.3% in the final quarter of 2023, but remained -6.7% lower compared to Q4 2022, GetAgent has found.

The estate agent comparison site’s latest hotspots demand index revealed that just one area of England saw positive movement year-on-year, with demand for the City of London increasing by 2.4% on an annual basis.

Current demand is based on the proportion of stock listed as already sold, subject to contract or under offer, as a percentage of all stock listed for sale, so if 100 homes are listed and 50 are already sold, the demand score would be 50%.

Durham saw the largest annual decline in buyer demand levels at -15.7%, followed by Suffolk (-10.9%) and Cheshire (-10.7%).

However, on a quarterly basis, Rutland saw the largest increase in demand when compared to the previous quarter, growing by 3.8%.

Buckinghamshire and Berkshire both saw strong signs of growth in Q4, increasing by 3.4%, and Surrey (2.8%), Hertfordshire (2.5%) and East Sussex (2.4%) also witnessing a surplus in demand.

Co-founder and chief executive officer at GetAgent, Colby Short, said: "Our latest index very much echoes wider industry data on market performance during the closing stages of 2023.

"While the landscape remains largely subdued, there are green shoots of positivity starting to show and in some areas, these shoots are growing at a far swifter rate than the national picture alludes to.

"Although the market is yet to spring back into action when viewed on an annual basis, there’s no doubt that things are improving and this puts us in a great position as we enter the new year."

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