Leading surveyors have reported that property prices are set for a fall once again as the number of sellers continues to outweigh demand.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) claimed that 44% of its members saw prices fall in the past three months, with only 6% reporting that prices had risen. 50% said they had been stable.
Meanwhile, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) reported that the number of home loans approved in August had fallen by 8% on the previous month. The total number, 51,600, was 3% on the same month last year however.
Uncertainty over the economy as well as high deposits being required by lenders, making it difficult for first time buyers, were blamed for the fall in demand, with Rics spokesperson Ian Perry claiming that it was “very much” a buyers’ market.
“First-time buyers are in particularly short supply as the high deposits required by lenders prevent them from taking their first steps on the property ladder,” he said.
“Without sufficient demand, property prices continue to slip back.