World Cup 'stunting property market'

Posted: 14 Jun 2006 10:49:56 GMT

With the whole world now captivated by the World Cup, it is perhaps unsurprising that activity in the housing market is slow.

It is not a trend that is exclusive to property, however, as car dealers up and down the country are also expecting poorer sales during the next few weeks.

But unlike the automotive industry, the UK property market is in extremely good shape and experts suggest that the distracting influence of the World Cup will stall rather than derail the progress that has already been made in the last few months.

Paul Smith, chief executive of Haart estate agents, said: "The market has been very buoyant this first half of the year, as buyers are continuing to return to the market."

He went on to say that while many buyers are still price sensitive, activity levels have been consistently high for some time. The World Cup, it seems, is the only real threat to this buoyancy, with potential homebuyers too busy following England's progress to go house hunting.

On the other hand, Mr Smith is expecting the market to "bounce" as soon as the tournament draws to a close.

"Now is a great time to enter the market and snap up a deal ensuring you are a step ahead of the post tournament rush," he added.


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