Housing market survey

The RICS UK Housing Market Survey is one of the most respected and influential measures of the housing market in the United Kingdom.

Increasingly used by City forecasters and the Bank of England, the monthly survey is often the first to identify the changes in the market across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Understanding RICS Market Surveys.

2009
May	Increased buyer interest and lower new instructions provide support for house prices
April	Further rise in buyer enquires but new instructions fall again
March	Further signs of improvement in activity indicators
February	Enquiries rise again but price balance remains sharply negative
January	Buyer enquiries increase for third consecutive month

2008
December	Price balance still strongly negative but less so than in November
November	Sales levels slip to a new low although sales to stock ratio stabilises
October	Transactions fall further though lead activity indicators improve
September	Transactions fall further as price balance worsens
August	Sales fall further with little sign of respite
July	Sales continue to dry up but some realism returns to the market
June	Activity at all time low but opportunists enter the market
May	Transactions fall further
April	Distress sales yet to filter through
March	Sentiment reaches historical low
February	Stocks rise as sentiment drops
January	Price balance slips further into negative territory

2007
December	Price balance drops further into negative territory
November	Net price balance most negative since May 2005
October	Slowdown continues but market is cushioned by strong economy
September	Demand weakens further but supply remains constrained
August	House price growth turned negative in August as demand slowed sharply
July	New buyer enquiries decline as interest rate rises start to bite
June	House price inflation more than halves
May	Housing market slows but buyer enquiries hold up
April	House prices rise despite HIPs-related supply increase
March	House price inflation picks up
February	House prices slow as affordability worsens
January	Demand cooling but lack of properties still pushing prices up