For the second year in a row, Buffalo, New York, has secured the top spot on Zillow's list of the hottest housing markets for 2025, earning the distinction of being the first market to secure the number one ranking in back-to-back years.

Sellers looking to off-load properties in the Midwest, Northeast, and South in the next 12 months may be in for a good year, according to Zillow. The real estate website recently released its forecast predicting the hottest housing markets for 2025—and most of the top 10 cities are in these regions.

With steep competition to find a home in the new year, these cities offer affordable options for buyers in the housing market.

The report also predicts that home prices will continue to increase in 2025, but at a slower pace compared to previous years.

Metros with more jobs for every new home permitted ranked highly on the list, while average home prices were a smaller factor.

In upstate New York, there's a red-hot housing market to watch this year, according to Zillow -- though its construction is struggling to keep up.

Researches said the key drivers that impacted the list were affordability and job growth. Buffalo, New York topped the list at No. 1. Experts said it will be the hottest market for the second year in a row because of factors such as having the most new jobs per home and lower-than-average home prices and rent costs.

Charlotte held the highest rank among Southern markets on Zillow's list. Richmond, Virginia, also appeared among the top 10, ranking at No. 9. Raleigh, the only other North or South Carolina metro in the analysis, ranked at No. 21 — down four spots from last year.

Hartford, Conn., was also forecasted to be among the top markets by the real estate listing website, but Boston ranked 16th among the 50 metro areas compared.