December saw an average of 42 homes for sale per branch according to NAEA Propertymark, up from 35 in November as sellers continue to look for buyers.
Demand for properties to purchase also grew during the last month of the year, but not as steeply as the number of sellers.
House hunters registered per estate agent branch increased by eight per cent, from 282 in November to 304, with year-on-year demand up 13 per cent, from 268 in December 2017.
Sales to first-time buyers increased marginally to total 24 per cent of all sales in December, from 23 per cent in November.
However, the year-on-year figures were less encouraging with the proportion of sales made to this group down from 32 per cent in the final month of 2017.
People want to move
NAEA Propertymark chief executive Mark Hayward (pictured) said: “This month’s findings prove that despite the current political climate, people still want to move.
“There is movement in the market with demand from house hunters up 13 per cent year-on-year, and the supply of available properties also rising.
“While many are adopting a wait and see strategy until there’s further clarity over what Brexit might mean for the market, there is choice for those who want to buy now, and there are people on the market looking for new homes.”
The number of sales agreed hit a 12-month low in December although Hayward acknowledged this was a typical seasonal trend with figures broadly in line with those last year.
