Market Comment – September 2019

September can only be described as an unusual and strange month both for sales and lettings and for me, who speaks to my team all day and every day, I confess it seemed like a long month.

Let me explain when I say unusual, in that nothing seems predictable throughout the group from new sales agreed, new lets agreed, to exchange of contracts. Let me give you an example of a typical September 2019 week at Streets Ahead. Our Lower Addiscombe Road office on Monday 16th tied up 3 sales (1 of which was New Homes) from the previous weekend and then from Monday afternoon through to Friday only received two unacceptable offers, however on Saturday the 21st we received 7 acceptable offers, taking our total sales for that week for our Lower Addiscombe Road branch to 10 sales and this was pretty much mirrored with lets and contracts exchanged. It was just a little erratic (and not great for the nerves).

Amid all the chaos at the houses of parliament, it is my firm belief and I have experienced and heard it that prospective tenants and purchasers have parked the events in Government and just getting on with their lives. I guess my message to everybody who is thinking of selling, buying or renting including New Homes (with the fantastic help to buy scheme) is business as usual.

With 447 new prospective purchasers registering in September and 678 prospective tenants registering in September and seeing first hand our offices packed with clients at the weekend, I am delighted with the recent activity and results.

It’s been back to school, summer holidays are over and there is a real feeling of let’s get moving and I am firmly of the opinion that the rest of 2019 will remain solid and stable.

I look forward to reporting to you any trends, statistics, figures and my opinion at the end of the month.