Its latest data showed that the number of applicants registering with agents rose 18% in February – the strongest level of demand recorded since the start of the downturn in late 2007, said Hometrack.
On a regional basis, the greatest increase in buyers were reported in the South East and South West, rising 28% and 22% respectively.
Hometrack said that, with many buyers doubling as sellers, the stock of housing coming to the market grew 10% over the month.
However, as investors and first-time buyers have no properties to sell, the growth in demand out-paced the increase in supply across nearly all regions, said Hometrack.
It found that the number of houses for sale increased by just 1.5% over the last six months.
Richard Donnell, director of research at Hometrack, said that a rise of 0.1% in average prices in Greater London offset falls of 0.1% in the East Midlands, West Midlands, North West, South West and Wales.
The North East saw the biggest drop, down 0.3%, but house prices remained flat in the South East, East Anglia and Yorkshire and Humberside.
Donnell said: “The proportion of the asking price being achieved jumped to 92.9% in February up 0.4% over the month – this is the highest proportion since September 2010.”
