Estate agents sell just six homes each in a month

Housing market activity slowed down during June as uncertainty caused by the Budget led to people putting their moving decisions on hold.

The average number of properties sold per estate agent fell to six during the month, down from eight in May, according to the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA).

The number of new properties being put up for sale also dropped for the first time in four months, with estate agents having an average of 59 properties on their books in June, compared with 62 in May.

The group yesterday attributed the falls to people putting off plans to buy or sell until they had a clearer idea of what impact the Budget would have on them.

But there were signs that the market may pick up during the summer, with the number of house-hunters registered with estate agents rising to an average of 279 per branch during the month, up from 265 in May.