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Home Press releasesProperty marketAlmost 9,000 foreign homebuyers call England and Wales home in the last year – Foreign homebuyer hotspots revealed

Almost 9,000 foreign homebuyers call England and Wales home in the last year – Foreign homebuyer hotspots revealed

homebuyers call england

The latest research by lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed that the number of foreign buyers entering the market across England and Wales has increased by 3.2% over the last year, although in some areas of the market this increase is as high as 18.8%.

Benham and Reeves submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Land Registry to ascertain the number of properties across each area of England and Wales with the title registered to an overseas correspondence address, combined with Gov data on properties registered with an overseas company.

The research shows that currently, there are some 280,021 homes registered to foreign homeowners, with individual homeowners accounting for 67% of these homes, versus 33% being owned by overseas companies.

This number has increased by 3.2% in the last year, with the North West (5.4%), the West Midlands (4.9%) and London (4%) seeing the largest increases of all regions.

London is also home to by far the most properties owned by foreign owners, with the 103,425 in the current market equating to 36.9% of all foreign owned homes across England and Wales.

This is more than double that of the next most prominent region, the South East, where 47,862 homes are currently registered to overseas owners or companies.

At local authority level, Dacorum has seen the largest annual increase up 18.8%, followed by Tameside (16.7%), Salford (12.8%), Tower Hamlets (12.2%), Slough (11.2%), Manchester (11.1%), Halton (10.8%), South Hams (10.8%), Sevenoaks (10.6%) and Maldon (10.5%).

However, where the highest volume of foreign owned homes is concerned, Westminster (16,667), Tower Hamlets (9,403) and Kensington and Chelsea (9,387) sit top of the table, followed by Liverpool (8,185) and Buckinghamshire (6,831).

Looking solely within the capital, Tower Hamlets has seen the largest annual uplift, with 12.2% more foreign owned homes versus a year ago.

Haringey has seen a considerable increase of 8.4%, while Wandsworth (7.9%), Hackney (7.3%) and Ealing (6.6%) also rank within the top five.

Director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, commented:

“With pandemic induced travel restrictions now a distant memory, foreign homebuyers are once again setting their sights on the property market across England and Wales and we’ve seen a consistent increase in demand over the last year.

London has traditionally been their destination of choice and the capital still ranks top of the table in terms of the sheer volume of foreign homeowners within the market. However, we are also seeing a strong uplift in market activity up and down the nation and there are comparatively very few areas where the level of foreign homeownership has dropped on an annual basis.

This diverse spread of activity from foreign shores is particularly welcome at a time when the domestic market has been cooling to a degree and should help to ensure that house prices remain robust and any fears of a market downturn are avoided.

We expect the level of foreign interest to continue to climb over the coming year as currently, many overseas buyers are dipping a toe within the rental market to try before they buy, committing to a purchase once they have found the right neighbourhood to suit their individual needs.”

REGIONALLY- Table shows the number of homes across England and Wales with a title registered to an overseas corresponding address or to an overseas company, the combined total and annual change
Location Individual overseas ownership titles Company overseas ownership titles Individual and company overseas ownership titles Annual Change % Proportion (%) of Eng and Wales total
NORTH WEST 29,837 10,713 40,550 5.4% 14.5%
WEST MIDLANDS 8,688 4,362 13,050 4.9% 4.7%
GREATER LONDON 62,256 41,169 103,425 4.0% 36.9%
NORTH EAST 5,086 2,511 7,597 2.7% 2.7%
SOUTH WEST 12,266 5,097 17,363 2.2% 6.2%
EAST OF ENGLAND 14,391 2,394 16,785 1.9% 6.0%
YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER 9,635 5,654 15,289 1.9% 5.5%
WALES 3,666 2,203 5,869 1.9% 2.1%
SOUTH EAST 33,093 14,769 47,862 1.7% 17.1%
EAST MIDLANDS 8,357 3,874 12,231 0.6% 4.4%
ENGLAND 183,609 90,543 274,152 3.3% 97.9%
ENGLAND AND WALES 187,275 92,746 280,021 3.2% 100.0%
LOCAL AUTHORITY – Table shows the number of homes across England and Wales with a title registered to an overseas corresponding address or to an overseas company, the combined total and annual change
Location Individual overseas ownership titles Company overseas ownership titles Individual and company overseas ownership titles Annual Change %
Dacorum 371 165 536 18.8%
Tameside 455 189 644 16.7%
Salford 5038 1277 6,315 12.8%
Tower Hamlets 7012 2391 9,403 12.2%
Slough 292 156 448 11.2%
Manchester 4337 1518 5,855 11.1%
Halton 169 128 297 10.8%
South Hams 742 49 791 10.8%
Sevenoaks 721 143 864 10.6%
Maldon 78 38 116 10.5%
North Tyneside 295 155 450 10.3%
Solihull 260 159 419 10.3%
Knowsley 194 182 376 9.3%
Telford and Wrekin 176 93 269 8.9%
Medway 440 162 602 8.9%
Trafford 1255 356 1,611 8.9%
Birmingham 3287 1109 4,396 8.7%
Haringey 755 516 1,271 8.4%
Broxtowe 161 46 207 8.4%
Wandsworth 4060 2034 6,094 7.9%
Stafford 148 90 238 7.7%
Havant 131 66 197 7.7%
Eden 135 50 185 7.6%
Hackney 2086 875 2,961 7.3%
South Cambridgeshire 450 154 604 7.3%
Middlesbrough 291 127 418 7.2%
Fenland 154 73 227 7.1%
Oadby And Wigston 40 37 77 6.9%
Gateshead 286 162 448 6.9%
Bassetlaw 128 73 201 6.9%
Leeds 1703 1532 3,235 6.8%
Warrington 403 254 657 6.8%
North Kesteven 144 44 188 6.8%
Ealing 1334 936 2,270 6.6%
Wychavon 177 114 291 6.6%
Bromsgrove 95 51 146 6.6%
South Staffordshire 70 62 132 6.5%
Spelthorne 294 109 403 6.3%
Bracknell Forest 167 138 305 6.3%
Stockport 750 223 973 6.2%
Gedling 158 51 209 6.1%
Harlow 43 62 105 6.1%
Carmarthenshire 251 180 431 5.9%
Hammersmith And Fulham 2909 1405 4,314 5.8%
King’S Lynn And West Norfolk 209 131 340 5.6%
Rotherham 254 304 558 5.5%
Flintshire 116 135 251 5.5%
Barrow-In-Furness 120 35 155 5.4%
Rugby 161 100 261 5.2%
Great Yarmouth 119 44 163 5.2%
Malvern Hills 127 40 167 5.0%
Tunbridge Wells 354 149 503 5.0%
Derbyshire Dales 100 27 127 5.0%
Lambeth 2288 1763 4,051 4.9%
South Derbyshire 84 67 151 4.9%
Epping Forest 182 124 306 4.8%
North East Lincolnshire 158 69 227 4.6%
Wigan 457 436 893 4.6%
Ceredigion 112 51 163 4.5%
East Hampshire 250 106 356 4.4%
Somerset West And Taunton 234 148 382 4.4%
Barnet 1978 1223 3,201 4.4%
North Somerset 251 132 383 4.4%
South Oxfordshire 390 162 552 4.3%
Waltham Forest 432 218 650 4.3%
East Suffolk 526 133 659 4.3%
Sandwell 148 195 343 4.3%
Preston 481 219 700 4.2%
Harrogate 285 225 510 4.1%
Harborough 166 90 256 4.1%
Basingstoke And Deane 272 177 449 3.9%
Doncaster 290 265 555 3.9%
Enfield 458 319 777 3.9%
Cornwall 1411 536 1,947 3.8%
Cambridge 877 288 1,165 3.7%
Huntingdonshire 297 127 424 3.7%
Shropshire 407 187 594 3.7%
Rossendale 68 74 142 3.6%
South Lakeland 376 81 457 3.6%
Fareham 124 82 206 3.5%
Milton Keynes 701 305 1,006 3.5%
Gwynedd 282 44 326 3.5%
Adur 80 40 120 3.4%
North Hertfordshire 230 101 331 3.4%
Wyre 126 85 211 3.4%
South Gloucestershire 294 252 546 3.4%
Cherwell 269 187 456 3.4%
Craven 110 42 152 3.4%
Greenwich 1813 438 2,251 3.4%
Chichester 299 189 488 3.4%
Stockton-On-Tees 327 134 461 3.4%
Tewkesbury 267 73 340 3.3%
Thanet 266 170 436 3.3%
Bury 411 212 623 3.3%
Ipswich 191 122 313 3.3%
Cheshire East 702 341 1,043 3.3%
Lichfield 76 116 192 3.2%
Brent 1280 769 2,049 3.2%
Bedford 220 133 353 3.2%
Staffordshire Moorlands 72 57 129 3.2%
Merton 680 482 1,162 3.2%
Oxford 488 225 713 3.2%
Hyndburn 157 70 227 3.2%
Kingston Upon Thames 642 300 942 3.2%
East Devon 284 106 390 3.2%
Forest Of Dean 96 35 131 3.1%
Runnymede 391 234 625 3.1%
Cardiff 520 403 923 3.1%
Cotswold 333 190 523 3.0%
Walsall 196 188 384 2.9%
Islington 2053 1145 3,198 2.9%
Stoke-On-Trent 360 216 576 2.9%
High Peak 135 83 218 2.8%
Wyre Forest 110 72 182 2.8%
City Of Kingston Upon Hull 343 276 619 2.8%
Isle Of Anglesey 99 47 146 2.8%
Mid Suffolk 123 60 183 2.8%
Ashfield 234 97 331 2.8%
Harrow 732 410 1,142 2.8%
Hinckley And Bosworth 110 75 185 2.8%
Lancaster 305 176 481 2.8%
Oldham 383 246 629 2.8%
Newcastle Upon Tyne 673 524 1,197 2.7%
Lincoln 156 106 262 2.7%
Northumberland 426 181 607 2.7%
Herefordshire 281 104 385 2.7%
Wolverhampton 118 154 272 2.6%
Reading 574 286 860 2.6%
East Hertfordshire 218 136 354 2.6%
Camden 2308 2244 4,552 2.6%
Calderdale 431 208 639 2.6%
Sutton 624 225 849 2.5%
Erewash 196 47 243 2.5%
Stroud 173 71 244 2.5%
City Of Westminster 6315 10352 16,667 2.5%
Neath Port Talbot 143 65 208 2.5%
Test Valley 134 116 250 2.5%
Woking 197 138 335 2.4%
Hillingdon 658 436 1,094 2.4%
Watford 146 112 258 2.4%
Hambleton 230 74 304 2.4%
Swindon 282 246 528 2.3%
Sunderland 658 234 892 2.3%
Wealden 243 161 404 2.3%
Thurrock 119 199 318 2.3%
Kensington And Chelsea 4000 5387 9,387 2.2%
West Lindsey 93 44 137 2.2%
Brentwood 127 57 184 2.2%
Pembrokeshire 298 73 371 2.2%
Burnley 663 129 792 2.2%
Wokingham 364 150 514 2.2%
Mendip 294 82 376 2.2%
City Of London 625 1370 1,995 2.2%
Tendring 214 123 337 2.1%
Redditch 43 56 99 2.1%
St Helens 247 549 796 2.1%
Gravesham 104 48 152 2.0%
Barking And Dagenham 231 130 361 2.0%
Cheshire West And Chester 594 438 1,032 2.0%
Mansfield 78 77 155 2.0%
Bexley 200 163 363 2.0%
The Vale Of Glamorgan 142 66 208 2.0%
Wrexham 94 62 156 2.0%
Breckland 150 62 212 1.9%
Ashford 575 223 798 1.9%
Newcastle-Under-Lyme 233 87 320 1.9%
Dudley 255 121 376 1.9%
Newham 2394 781 3,175 1.9%
Barnsley 316 174 490 1.9%
Nuneaton And Bedworth 62 47 109 1.9%
Sefton 1664 298 1,962 1.9%
South Tyneside 187 87 274 1.9%
Monmouthshire 120 45 165 1.9%
Surrey Heath 118 157 275 1.9%
Bolton 652 360 1,012 1.8%
Kirklees 500 288 788 1.8%
East Staffordshire 88 82 170 1.8%
Brighton And Hove 919 514 1,433 1.8%
West Suffolk 299 223 522 1.8%
Amber Valley 96 79 175 1.7%
Southwark 2721 1321 4,042 1.7%
Charnwood 187 109 296 1.7%
Richmond Upon Thames 889 533 1,422 1.7%
Dartford 190 115 305 1.7%
Redbridge 491 183 674 1.7%
North Devon 375 68 443 1.6%
Torbay 334 109 443 1.6%
Blackpool 413 158 571 1.6%
Exeter 252 194 446 1.6%
Guildford 1014 205 1,219 1.6%
Warwick 192 132 324 1.6%
Swansea 283 239 522 1.6%
Windsor And Maidenhead 1053 333 1,386 1.5%
Wiltshire 1303 419 1,722 1.5%
South Kesteven 202 63 265 1.5%
East Cambridgeshire 105 162 267 1.5%
Dover 209 70 279 1.5%
Braintree 234 116 350 1.4%
Winchester 993 208 1,201 1.4%
Havering 1618 174 1,792 1.4%
Portsmouth 369 212 581 1.4%
West Berkshire 264 258 522 1.4%
St Albans 1292 147 1,439 1.3%
Crawley 554 145 699 1.3%
North Lincolnshire 135 98 233 1.3%
Waverley 261 129 390 1.3%
Lewisham 1325 471 1,796 1.3%
South Ribble 75 82 157 1.3%
Cheltenham 351 124 475 1.3%
Horsham 618 177 795 1.3%
North Northamptonshire 2615 272 2,887 1.3%
Babergh 99 63 162 1.3%
County Durham 1374 415 1,789 1.2%
Croydon 867 600 1,467 1.2%
East Lindsey 179 66 245 1.2%
Arun 309 191 500 1.2%
Bolsover 44 40 84 1.2%
Mid Sussex 285 139 424 1.2%
South Somerset 321 103 424 1.2%
Dorset 741 232 973 1.1%
Sheffield 1591 744 2,335 1.1%
Selby 97 88 185 1.1%
Bath And North East Somerset 664 170 834 1.1%
City Of Bristol 812 672 1,484 1.1%
Rushcliffe 126 62 188 1.1%
Blaby 56 41 97 1.0%
Swale 187 126 313 1.0%
Newark And Sherwood 154 59 213 0.9%
Reigate And Banstead 987 194 1,181 0.9%
Darlington 169 48 217 0.9%
North Warwickshire 751 123 874 0.9%
Liverpool 6708 1477 8,185 0.9%
City Of Plymouth 377 202 579 0.9%
Newport 103 129 232 0.9%
Wirral 779 265 1,044 0.9%
Isle Of Wight 442 151 593 0.9%
City Of Derby 392 206 598 0.8%
Basildon 159 86 245 0.8%
Colchester 313 826 1,139 0.8%
West Northamptonshire 387 377 764 0.8%
Castle Point 80 52 132 0.8%
Worthing 188 79 267 0.8%
East Riding Of Yorkshire 385 158 543 0.7%
Lewes 500 62 562 0.7%
Southampton 563 281 844 0.7%
Broxbourne 79 64 143 0.7%
Maidstone 419 155 574 0.7%
North West Leicestershire 54 96 150 0.7%
Ribble Valley 69 82 151 0.7%
Bradford 1592 415 2,007 0.7%
Rhondda Cynon Taff 177 143 320 0.6%
Leicester 480 551 1,031 0.6%
Caerphilly 105 75 180 0.6%
West Devon 126 58 184 0.5%
Hounslow 3761 1259 5,020 0.5%
Epsom And Ewell 121 65 186 0.5%
Mole Valley 1187 146 1,333 0.5%
Allerdale 129 63 192 0.5%
Rother 229 175 404 0.5%
Elmbridge 364 302 666 0.5%
New Forest 287 160 447 0.4%
Mid Devon 189 46 235 0.4%
Buckinghamshire 5997 834 6,831 0.4%
Chorley 89 164 253 0.4%
Bridgend 118 137 255 0.4%
Bournemouth, Christchurch And Poole 901 393 1,294 0.4%
Central Bedfordshire 2161 227 2,388 0.3%
Sedgemoor 217 109 326 0.3%
Tonbridge And Malling 818 177 995 0.3%
Hart 274 97 371 0.3%
Norwich 244 127 371 0.3%
Stratford-On-Avon 239 171 410 0.2%
Bromley 2717 316 3,033 0.2%
South Norfolk 362 107 469 0.2%
Eastleigh 389 86 475 0.2%
Wakefield 284 325 609 0.2%
Three Rivers 818 119 937 0.1%
Cannock Chase 65 78 143 0.0%
Fylde 133 104 237 0.0%
Gosport 97 29 126 0.0%
Hastings 162 73 235 0.0%
Isles Of Scilly 7 4 11 0.0%
Redcar And Cleveland 123 72 195 0.0%
Rushmoor 90 65 155 0.0%
Rutland 77 13 90 0.0%
Scarborough 248 56 304 0.0%
South Holland 97 75 172 0.0%
Vale Of White Horse 230 102 332 0.0%
Welwyn Hatfield 100 95 195 0.0%
West Oxfordshire 228 118 346 0.0%
Hertsmere 722 144 866 -0.1%
Tandridge 2872 153 3,025 -0.1%
Folkestone And Hythe 389 131 520 -0.2%
Rochdale 403 343 746 -0.3%
City Of Peterborough 327 389 716 -0.3%
Coventry 308 236 544 -0.4%
Conwy 263 107 370 -0.5%
Carlisle 122 53 175 -0.6%
Teignbridge 270 73 343 -0.6%
Gloucester 137 139 276 -0.7%
Luton 616 335 951 -0.7%
Chelmsford 505 132 637 -0.8%
Stevenage 77 42 119 -0.8%
Copeland 73 22 95 -1.0%
Tamworth 44 50 94 -1.1%
Blaenau Gwent 46 44 90 -1.1%
Southend-On-Sea 263 167 430 -1.1%
Denbighshire 112 59 171 -1.2%
Torridge 228 62 290 -1.4%
North East Derbyshire 114 26 140 -1.4%
West Lancashire 148 125 273 -1.4%
Uttlesford 123 72 195 -1.5%
Broadland 128 61 189 -1.6%
Canterbury 538 208 746 -1.6%
Worcester 139 72 211 -1.9%
Merthyr Tydfil 26 23 49 -2.0%
Blackburn With Darwen 271 111 382 -2.1%
North Norfolk 170 68 238 -2.1%
Torfaen 53 42 95 -2.1%
Eastbourne 259 120 379 -2.1%
Boston 61 18 79 -2.5%
Ryedale 80 35 115 -2.5%
Pendle 283 42 325 -2.7%
Rochford 71 31 102 -2.9%
Powys 203 34 237 -3.7%
Hartlepool 277 68 345 -4.2%
Melton 64 19 83 -4.6%
City Of Nottingham 935 680 1,615 -5.4%
York 508 242 750 -10.6%
Chesterfield 54 58 112 -16.4%
Richmondshire 95 36 131 -16.6%
LONDON ONLY – Table shows the number of homes across England and Wales with a title registered to an overseas corresponding address or to an overseas company, the combined total and annual change
Location Individual overseas ownership titles Company overseas ownership titles Individual and company overseas ownership titles Annual Change %
Tower Hamlets 7012 2391 9,403 12.2%
Haringey 755 516 1,271 8.4%
Wandsworth 4060 2034 6,094 7.9%
Hackney 2086 875 2,961 7.3%
Ealing 1334 936 2,270 6.6%
Hammersmith And Fulham 2909 1405 4,314 5.8%
Lambeth 2288 1763 4,051 4.9%
Barnet 1978 1223 3,201 4.4%
Waltham Forest 432 218 650 4.3%
Enfield 458 319 777 3.9%
Greenwich 1813 438 2,251 3.4%
Brent 1280 769 2,049 3.2%
Merton 680 482 1,162 3.2%
Kingston Upon Thames 642 300 942 3.2%
Islington 2053 1145 3,198 2.9%
Harrow 732 410 1,142 2.8%
Camden 2308 2244 4,552 2.6%
Sutton 624 225 849 2.5%
City Of Westminster 6315 10352 16,667 2.5%
Hillingdon 658 436 1,094 2.4%
Kensington And Chelsea 4000 5387 9,387 2.2%
City Of London 625 1370 1,995 2.2%
Barking And Dagenham 231 130 361 2.0%
Bexley 200 163 363 2.0%
Newham 2394 781 3,175 1.9%
Southwark 2721 1321 4,042 1.7%
Richmond Upon Thames 889 533 1,422 1.7%
Redbridge 491 183 674 1.7%
Havering 1618 174 1,792 1.4%
Lewisham 1325 471 1,796 1.3%
Croydon 867 600 1,467 1.2%
Hounslow 3761 1259 5,020 0.5%
Bromley 2717 316 3,033 0.2%

Data on number of homes registered to individuals with an overseas correspondence address sourced via a Freedom of Information Request to the Land Registry by Benham and Reeves. Figures are based on data received for January 2023 and annual change compares these figures to January 2022
Data on the number of homes owned by overseas companies sourced from Gov UK – Use land and property data

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About the Author

Established in 1958, Benham and Reeves is one of London’s oldest, independently owned property lettings and sales agents. With specialism in residential sales, corporate lettings and property management in prime areas of London, the company operates from 21 prominently located branches and 15 international offices.

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