Confidence can make a massive difference in the property market, and it is easy to see why so many people want to feel more optimistic about the market this year. Information provided by NAEA Propertymark isn’t going to dampen enthusiasm, and it is easy to see why many people feel 2020 could be the year when things improve with buying and selling homes.
A lot of the optimism stems from the organisation stating the number of prospective buyers, and the number of agreed sales, increased in December 2019, compared to December 2018.
The year on year sales agreed per member branch stood at five in December 2017 and 2018, but in December 2019, the number have increased to six agreed sales per branch. This may not seem like much, but any step forward is to be celebrated, and there are many reasons why December is a slower month in the market.
Of course, the General Election of 2019, and the convincing margin of victory for the Conservative Party means December 2019 wasn’t a standard month or a typical December.
Sales to first-time buyers increased
The presence of first-time buyers is crucial, because this is the largest group of buyers in the property market. The number of sales made to first-time buyers in December 2019 increased marginally from November 2019. The figures moved from 28% to 29%. However, the year-on-year figures showed a notable increase of 5%. The December 2018 figures stood at 24%.
There was a fall in house hunters registering with estate agents
One area where there was a slight hit in the market was the number of house hunters registered per branch. In November 2019, this stood at 332, but in December of 2019, this had fallen to 313. This is the lowest figure since July 2019, when there were 305 house-hunters per branch. However, there was an increase in the year-on-year figures, which stood at 304 potential buyers per branch in December 2018.
More homes were supplied to the market
In November 2019, there were 39 homes supplied to the market per branch, and by December 2019, this increase to 41. This is the highest figure since August 2019, when there were 44 houses per branch on the market. There was a slight dip in the year-on-year figures, moving from 42 in December 2018.
Mark Hayward is the Chief Executive, NAEA Propertymark and he said; “After a period of suppressed market activity due to Brexit and political uncertainty, the clear outcome of the General Election in December has injected some much-needed confidence into the market.”
Mark continued by saying; “Despite it typically being a quieter time of the year seasonally, our figures have shown positive trends with both demand and the number of sales being high in comparison to previous years, as both buyers and sellers no longer hold off on their plans. This is an encouraging close to the year and we hope to see more of this stability in 2020.”
If you plan on making a move in or around Petersfield this year, contact Williams of Petersfield, and we will be happy to help.