New buyer enquiries soar 82% at Countrywide

15 February 2010 | By Natalie Thomas

Countrywide Estate Agents, the UK’s largest estate agency network, saw new buyer enquiries rise by 81.7% in Jan 2010, compared to December 2009.

Property instructions also rocketed by 107% in January 2010, compared to December 2009, with house sales increasing by 20% in January 2010 compared to the previous year.

Grenville Turner, chief executive of Countrywide, says the final weeks of the Stamp Duty holiday in December pushed through hundreds of sales but a new wave of buyers and sellers have come through in 2010, which has caused a sharp increase in demand.

He says: “New buyer enquiries rose by 81.7% in January 2010 while viewings increased by 50% compared to December 2009.

“Sellers are finally returning to the market, with the number doubling in January and sales are up 20%, while house prices have increased by 15.5% on last year.

“This strong demand is a good indicator and highlights a renewed sense of consumer confidence, which gives us an idea of what the market might look like in the coming months.”

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