Estate agents saw an increase in the number of people looking to trade their properties over the last month. According to the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), the number of sellers on their books reached a six-month peak in March and the number of registered buyers was up by 7 per cent on February.
Spring, said the NAEA, had brought its usual rise in housing market activity. The NAEA?s Gary Smith told BBC News: ?Spring has finally arrived and brought with it a much needed boost to the housing market, particularly among sellers. This figure has been low in recent months and this is a welcome indication that reflects a growing confidence that the recovery is well underway.?
Last week the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) had similarly encouraging statistics, reporting the highest number of sellers since May 2007.
The NAEA survey showed that the average number of homes up for sale at members? branches was up from 56 in February to 60 in March, and the number of people looking to buy was up from 256 in February to 274 per branch in March. The NAEA also reported an increase in sales, up to eight per branch in March from 6.8 in February.
The NAEA said: ?This month?s figures reveal an increase in the levels of housing stock with more properties available for sale per branch – the highest value recorded over the last six months. More house hunters also registered their interest. With the bad weather now behind us buyers and sellers alike are returning to the market with a renewed vigour.?
