Hometrack expects house price growth to be back in double figures by the end of the year, driven by those areas where the housing market is only now starting to experience a revival.
The average price for a house in the 20 largest UK cities rose by 9.4% to £229,300 in November on the year, accelerating from 8.4% growth in the prior month.
The improvement comes as the markets in large cities outside of southern England stage a rebound. Both Glasgow and Manchester recorded their highest annual house price rises since 2007, at 8.3% and 7% respectively.
In contrast, house prices in the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea fell 2.6%.
