In its housing adviser consumer index, L&G showed 31% of advisers believe that their business volumes will be better than the last quarter, while 54% think it will be the same.
Stephen Smith, director of housing and external affairs at Legal & General, said: “The start of the New Year brings a wave optimism from advisers, with 85% saying that their business volumes will be at least the same or greater than the last three months and a minority, only 15%, saying that their volumes will fall in 2011.”
The index revealed 65% of advisers continue to believe that the purchase business will be a more important source of customers than remortgage (35%).
Adviser focus on protection has fallen slightly, with 47% of advisers thinking that they will sell more in the first quarter, down from 56% in September 2010.
In terms of interest rates, Smith added that, overwhelmingly, 96% of advisers think the base rate will hold at 0.50% until December.
