Could it be that return-to-office policies are once again drawing homebuyers to house hunt close to the locations where they work, instead of the remote settings they were drawn to post-pandemic?

That is certainly the conclusion reached by Realtor.com in its February Hottest Housing Market report. "Large metros continue to heat up as homebuyers return to office and look for a home near business hubs," the report concluded. "These areas pulled in about 11% more views per listing than was typical in the U.S. in February, and homes spent 15% fewer days on the market than the U.S. median."

This trend especially favored metros in the West, home to four of the five markets that rose the most in desirability or "hotness." They were Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV, Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ, Riverside-San Bernadino-Ontario, CA and Los Angeles-Long Beach, Anaheim, CA. The fifth market was St. Louis, Mo.