Regional Round-up

July 2019

The Northern Ireland property market is strong and is going well. The one thing most agents are commenting on is supply and demand, we have lots of buyers who are wanting to get onto the property ladder, but there isn’t the supply there to meet their needs. Northern Ireland’s housing market is fortunate to not be overly affected by Brexit and agents are still working away.

By no means does this mean it is an easy market we are working in, and day to day business is hard, but we are still working to get the job done. In Northern Ireland we are very fortunate to have a varied market from investment properties at £40,000 to seaside mansions at £3 million.

However, estate agents from both ends of the market are facing the same challenges we are all facing, with the upcoming changes to legislation within the sector. Propertymark is here to support you through these changes and guide you in the right direction from training and exams to conferences and workshops. The industry is changing, and we have to change with it; we as agents have to invest in our businesses and our staff’s training to ultimately achieve our goals.

In Belfast, where I am based, the property market has awoken enormously since the beginning of the year; we are now seeing more clients wanting to be on the move but are still facing the difficulty of supply and demand. We have seen a noticeable rise in first time buyers wanting to get onto the property market with the help to buy scheme and 95 per cent mortgages now being an option. This is helping them massively instead of most people relying on the bank of mum and dad, there has never been a better time for first time buyers to take their step onto the property ladder.

Kirsty Finney MNAEA, MARLA
NAEA Propertymark Regional Executive