Estate agencies around the country have reported an increase in sales per branch, the latest figures from NAEA Propertymark have revealed. Property transactions remain solid so far in 2019, demonstrating the ongoing resilience of the property market with the sales per branch now the highest since October 2018.
Mark Hayward, chief executive, NAEA Propertymark, said: “Despite a fall in housing supply and demand, it’s encouraging to see an increase, for the first time this year, in the number of sales going through.
“This means that even though buyers and sellers remain uncertain given the current climate, many are continuing to move forward with their transactions and sales are still happening at the rate we would expect to see at this time of year.
“More than four in five properties are selling for less than the original asking price, so there’s opportunity for house buyers and sellers to negotiate an offer to get a sale moving.”
First-time buyers continue to prop-up the market somewhat, with sales to this group increasing once more; a 27% increase was seen in April, which is a 3% rise year-on-year. The consistent appetite for property amongst the first-time buyer populous has been integral to the health of the market over the past 24 months, and with sales to this group still rising it bodes well for the market.