Despite reports from the RICS on market performance in June 2011, Tayside's market leader has reported excellent results in June 2011.
Thorntons Property Services – which has branches in Dundee, Perth, Arbroath and Forfar – says branch returns for June 2011 were extremely encouraging.
George Solley, director of property sales at Thorntons, said: "We monitor the value of deals agreed, as they occur, an important measure against current market activity and to project actual sales which will be recorded in the months ahead.
"Monitoring on a month by month basis over the years allows us to make comparison against similar historical activity and trends.
"For example, June 2010 proved our busiest month during 2010/2011 and the total value of property involved was up 56% on June 2010 and up 40% in the actual number of properties involved.
"As these two statistic read together would suggest, there has been an increase in activity over the last year in middle to high value activity. As such, the average value of property involved rose from £143,000 to £161,000.
"This is not necessarily a direct rise in prices of the individual properties concerned, but is influenced by the number of high value properties in the mix.
"As the report from RICS suggests, there can be a seasonal slowdown as we approach the holiday period and that may well be something we could experience this year, as normal.
"But June was far from an early indicator of this as far as our firm's performance and indicators from general activities are concerned.
"In addition we were extremely busy during June in listing activities with a good stock of new properties coming to the market. That will be anticipated to downturn as the holiday period approaches – but does not necessarily reflect in a downturn in sales activity, as historical figures would show.
"It is dangerous to read too much into short term trends but the report from RICS certainly contradicts our reading of the regional market in June based on our point of sale activities and measurements.
"We are not ready to pre-judge the Summer 2011 market other than with a degree of encouragement based on the June reports from our branches, but we will see what the remainder of the Summer brings."
Mr Solley urges house-hunters and sellers not to not lose sight of the key issue involved.
He said: "We accept that there are a number of on-going concerns about employment and rise in cost of living, but those who are able to secure mortgage funds do not appear to be holding back.
"Many are taking full advantage of the privileged position in which they find themselves. The number of buyers in the market place is determined by the availability of finance rather than the cost of it – it would appear."
George Solley
Director of Property Sales, Thorntons Property Services
July 2011