The number of people looking to move home is at its highest level for five years, according to haart.
The independent estate agency said that the number of prospective buyers registering their interest during January was higher than at any time since 2008.
Total potential buyer levels last month rose 5.3 per cent on the same time last year to 24,600 and were up 13 per cent on the same time five years ago. The highest number of potential buyers registered by haart was in January 2007 at the height of the property boom when 37,502 registered with the company during the first four weeks of the year.
haart is investing some £5 million in its 125-plus strong branch network across the UK supported by the roll-out of technical innovations such as iPad apps, Facebook Property apps and dedicated YouTube property channels to enable potential customers to search for property.
Russell Jervis, managing director of haart said: “The market showed real signs of life towards the end of 2012 and has picked up where it left off at the start of 2013. Traditionally buyers wait until the spring to register but we have found that both buyers and sellers have accepted house prices aren’t going to return to former levels over the short to medium term and have therefore decided not to delay moving any longer.”
This is also reflected in the number of new properties valued by haart last month, which was up 13 per cent on the same time last year.
Jervis added: “With so many people looking to move, the opportunity to sell has not been so strong in many years.”
