Still no sign of sluggish lettings market picking up for autumn

The latest market data produced by the Agency Express board company has revealed a further decline in activity for the lettings market in August.

National month on month figures for properties ‘To Let’ showed a drop of 3.2 per cent and figures for properties ‘Let’ were down 1.9 per cent. 

However, looking at the Index’s rolling three monthly data figures from June to August are more resilient, with new listings ‘To Let’ up very slightly by 0.4 per cent and properties ‘Let’ up 1.4 per cent. 

During the same period in 2017, activity across the lettings market was actually slower still with new listings down 1.8 per cent and properties ‘Let’ down 1.0 per cent.

Observing activity across the individual regions recorded by Agency Express’ Property Activity Index, four of 12 regions reported increases in properties ‘To Let’ and five reported increases in properties ‘Let’.

This month’s top performers were the East Midlands and Scotland. 

Following a slowdown in July the East Midlands bounced back with new listings at 19.6 per, reporting a record best increase for the month. Scotland followed suit with figures for properties ‘Sold’ at a robust 11.3 per cent.

The largest declines in this month’s index were made in the South East and Central England. 

New listings ‘For Sale’ in the South East fell for the first time since May, down 13.6 per cent, while properties ‘Let’ in Central England fell for a second consecutive month, down 10 per cent.