14 June 2010

NAEA: POST-ELECTION, THE HOUSING MARKET HOLDS ITS BREATH

BRITAIN’S housing market remained largely unmoved by the election of the first coalition Government in decades, amidst increasing uncertainty over what the future holds.

The May Housing Market Report from the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) found that sales remained the same, the average number of properties available remained the same and the percentage of sales made to first time buyers also stayed flat.

The average agent sold eight properties in May and had 62 registered properties on its books. Around 21 per cent of sales were made to first time buyers in April and in May.

However the number of people registering to look for homes dipped slightly, from 278 in April to 265 in May.

President of the NAEA, Michael Jones said: “In a momentous political month, amid uncertainty over house prices it’s unsurprising people decided to keep calm and carry on.

“The reality is that the impact of the new coalition Government will not fully be felt for some weeks – although we are hopeful that the decision to scrap HIPs will boost the market.

“Indeed some potential sellers may have held back in May to wait until the decision on HIPs was made and will now come to the market in June.

“However this positive outlook is balanced by uncertainty about what is planned for the Budget later this month. The announcements made on 22 June could make the difference between a continued or indeed enhanced recovery, and a double dip recession.

“The housing market, like the country, is holding its breath.”

ENDS

Editor Notes

Editor Notes:

About the NAEA

The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) is the UK’s leading professional body for estate agency personnel, representing the interests of around 10,000 members who practice across all aspects of property services both in the UK and overseas. These include residential and commercial sales and lettings, property management, business transfer, auctioneering and land. The NAEA is a sister organisation to the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), as is PropertyLive.co.uk, the UK’s only regulated property portal.

The NAEA is dedicated to the goal of professionalism within all aspects of property, estate agency and land. Its aim is to reassure the general public that by appointing an NAEA member to represent them they will receive in return the highest level of integrity and service in both sales and lettings, for all property matters. Both NAEA and ARLA members are bound by a vigorously enforced Code of Practice and adhere to professional Rules of Conduct. Failure to do so can result in heavy financial penalties and possible expulsion from the Associations.

For further information contact:

NAEA PRESS OFFICE

Tel: 020 3128 8181

E-mail: press@nfoppmedia.com