Property sales fall to lowest level for a year

But an unexpected surge in interest from potential homebuyers in December bodes well for the house market this year, estate agents said.
The typical number of house hunters registered per branch in December was 294, 32 more than the average figure for November, with viewings continuing right up until the Christmas break, the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) found.

The percentage of first-time buyers also rose to 21pc, continuing the increase since this section of the market hit its lowest proportion in nearly three years last autumn, although first-time buyers made up a quarter of the market during the same period last year.

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