Estate agents are braced for months in doldrums, says RICS

The housing market is likely to remain in the doldrums for months, estate agents and surveyors warned as they reported further falls in demand, sales, new stock and prices. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said that feedback from its members provided “little encouragement that the drop in housing market activity is likely to be reversed soon”. A survey of more than 300 chartered surveyors around the country showed that enquiries from new buyers had fallen for a 12th consecutive month in March, with 17% more members reporting a fall rather than a rise. The Telegraph reported that Scotland, Wales and the north west of England are set to lead the UK’s housing market in the coming year, with London the only area that will fail to join in any resurgence in house prices, according to the survey feedback. The Guardian describes the survey as “the most downbeat assessment of the housing market for five years. Click here for the full Times article (£) Click here for the full Telegraph article Click here for the full Guardian article