Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by The Negotiator. Read the original article for full details.

Manchester Overtakes London as Top Buy-to-Let Investment Hub

Manchester has become the most targeted city for buy-to-let investors, overtaking London, according to new data from The Property Buying Company. The findings are based on responses from 295 investors, with 23% searching for property in Manchester compared to 18% in London.

The top five most in-demand cities for buy-to-let investment are Manchester (23%), London (18%), Liverpool (8%), Birmingham (7%), and both Luton and Nottingham (3%). The North West region remains the most sought-after in England and Wales, with 18% of investors naming it as their preferred region.

Average rents in Manchester have increased by 3% over the past year to £1,349 per month, which is slightly below the British average rent increase of 3.4%. Manchester offers a gross rental yield of 6.6%, compared to 5.1% in London.

Recent analysis by Rightmove revealed that Manchester leads UK cities in house price growth over the past decade, with prices rising by 63%. In contrast, London saw a 7% increase during the same period. The four fastest-growing local areas were all suburbs in Greater Manchester.

These trends are relevant for letting agents and inventory clerks monitoring shifts in investor demand and rental market dynamics across the UK.