According to the company: “Global searches for second home purchases hit an all-time high in the summer of 2020, however since the pandemic, there’s been a significant uplift in the number of people purchasing a second property - either in the country they’re already living in, or further afield.

“Reasons for buying a second home can range from wanting to make a savvy real estate investment, owning a place in which families and loved ones can spend time together, or simply having a base to escape everyday life”.

Top create the ranking the property experts analysed global search data for terms such as ‘second home in [location]’ and ‘holiday home in [location]’, revealing that countries including Ireland, New Zealand and UK are some of the trending second home hotspots for 2024.

Hotspots

When looking at the countries people want a second home in most, it is the rural country of Ireland which tops the list, with almost 100,000 searches for second homes in the country over the past year. Following Ireland as the world’s second home hotspot is New Zealand with over 92,500 searches in the past year for second homes in the nation. Rounding off the top three most in-demand locations is the United Kingdom, where over 55,000 people around the world were found to be searching for second homes in the country over the past year.

European countries dominate the remaining top ten destinations with countries including Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece featuring as some of the most in-demand locations to buy a second home in.

Colby Short, CEO and cofounder of GetAgent added: “Our study has revealed some of the most desirable locations for a second home, with lots of them not only being great investments as part of a portfolio, but also making great holiday homes for homeowners themselves. Many of the in-demand destinations revealed in our research are located in areas of natural beauty, and provide easy access to other desirable travel locations”.