There is a lot of confusing information in the press regarding property at the moment and the vast majority of it is based on ‘ordinary’ average property.  Virtually all the statistics refer to ‘average’ property and bear no relation to the rare and valuable country properties that we are dealing with. It is therefore as important as ever to get the price right.

My clients do not want ordinary – they want quality.  They also want to know what is the right price, what are the downsides, if any, and if it is the ‘one’, how can they secure it before anyone else.

An increase in supply and a hangover of blemished property is softening prices and making it difficult for amateurs to read the market but as ever it has never been more important to be represented in this rather confusing market.

Prices remain the hot topic.  We believe there will not be a surge of new property coming on to the market in the near future and recent evidence is that where a good example of a particular type of property comes to the market at a price that appears to be fair value,  it sells well.

There remains to be strong competition for good quality houses in the area and there is no sign of this changing.

There is also quite a lot of uncertainty with regards to pricing. If houses are priced correctly, they should sell. However there are some which are clearly overpriced and not selling. It is knowing the difference between the two which is so vitally important in this market.

Buyers are currently in their strongest negotiating position for nearly two years and with the right advice, now is the time to take advantage of it.

A general lack of property accross all price ranges is still the main talking point and there are no signs this will change in the immediate future.

With the lack of property and strong demand, as is the case now, prices will continue to remain firm.

Although there are few new properties coming to the market at this early stage in January, several people have registered their desire to find something. As more people register, with the current lack of properties for sale, we will probably see a similar market to the last six months of 2009 – quality properties selling well with stiff competition.

There is always a temptation to look back over the past 12 months at this time of year and this year is certainly no exception. Exactly this time last year we were shouting from the rooftops that it was possibly the buying opportunity of a generation. Considering where we are now in terms of the market and prices, this has proved to be right… However, that was then, this is now. We are all looking forward to 2010 and want to know what the next 12 months holds for us.

The general feeling at the moment is ‘much of the same’. In other words, there is unlikely to be a surge of new property coming onto the market and certainly, with demand for the ‘best’ property remaining extremely high, it is likely to prove even harder to find the right thing.

A good buying agent is more vital than ever at the moment – although I would say that!

Here’s looking forward to 2010.

Hopefully things may change next year but I wouldn’t hold your breath.  Interest rates are very likely to remain low for some time and although many people were predicting an increase in property coming to the market during the latter part of this year, it has simply not materialized.  This could well be the case next year as well so it is more important than ever to have an extra pair of eyes and ears on the ground.

There are many buyers out there just waiting for something to come up and virtually all of them are in a strong position and ready to proceed.  Having the advantage of a buying agent has never been more important.

The market is fragmented at the moment with different sections performing in very different ways.  Good quality properties are selling well when correctly priced although properties that are blemished, flawed or just overpriced are not selling.

There is a chance that with signs of an improving market, or at least a market that appears to have bottomed out, some of those sellers who may have been waiting for an upturn decide to quietly market their property.

There has possibly never been a better time to employ a buying agent.