Prices are continuing to grow but at a slower rate, with more chartered surveyor estate agents reporting a rise in prices than fall, compared with 16 per cent last month.
The industry is positive about a strong post-Easter rally, with price expectations at their highest since April 2004.
Ian Perry. A spokesman for RICS, said: “People traditionally put houses on the market in the New Year and sales pick up around Easter. Agents are clearly expecting this year to be no exception and our figures are showing a lot of optimism in the industry.
AgentsÂ’ confidence is partly based on the fact that buyers often commit to a purchase at this time of year and that the economic going remains generally good.
Perry said: “Prices are strongest in London, the South West and Scotland, but remain weaker in the North and the Midlands where people are less certain over immediate employment. Unemployment has risen almost every month for a year, particularly in these areas.
“Some people may be more inclined to sell while others remain unaffected by the softening employment picture and are still keen to buy. This split in the economy is one explanation for the unusual situation where both new buyer enquiries and instructions to sell are rising simultaneously.”
With this being the time of year when the housing market springs into action, RICS believes that forward planning is the answer to avoiding the pitfalls and paving a smooth pathway to success.
They have produced a series of consumer guides aimed at explaining how the buying and selling process works and how to avoid surprises.
Each of the three guides, buying, selling and understanding property surveys, has been specifically designed to address the questions most frequently asked by the public.
Phil Spencer, co-presenter of two of Channel 4’s property programmes relocation and Location, Location, Location, said: “More than ever before, property means big money, so it pays to seek the best advice possible from experts who really know what they are talking about.
“In my opinion, these RICS guides are a great starting point.”
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