UK market buoyant
Leading UK estate agency group Connells has revealed a significant upturn in new homes sales since the start of this year.
Connells’ half year figures show that despite a difficult housing market, the group recorded 18% more new homes sales in the first quarter of the year and a 44% increase in quarter two compared to the same period in 2010.
The large upswing in Connells new homes sales is a result of the company’s extensive experience as well as new initiatives deployed in 2011 to help new homes buyers and counter difficulties in the market, it said.
Connells has also made a number of new homes business wins in 2011 and currently acts on behalf of most of the UK’s major house builders as well as numerous regional and local house builders.
In addition to this, the Connells Group said that it continues to work closely with lender partners in order to broaden the range of mortgage products available to buyers of new homes, both in terms of lending on a wider range of properties and achieving higher loan to value mortgage products.
Connells said that it would soon be announcing a unique, new, high loan to value product for new homes buyers.
‘Our expertise and reputation coupled with Connells’ national estate agency branch network are invaluable to house builders and have helped us sell thousands of new homes in the first six months of 2011,’ said Stephen Shipperley, group executive chairman for Connells.
‘Our branch teams are experts in both the local housing market and new homes so are best placed to advise buyers on the developments we are marketing,’ he added.
‘For example, one site that we are currently selling in Oxfordshire demonstrates Connells’ added value. The house builders concerned chose to use Connells rather than sell direct and as a consequence, Connells have exceeded both the expected sales rate and target prices,’ he explained.
In keeping with the positive trend in new homes sales this year, the Connells Group has seen an increasing number of sites coming out of planning and starting to build in 2011. Many of the developments that Connells and Sequence, part of the Connells Group, are currently marketing are connected with previous land acquisitions initiated through the Group’s dedicated Land and Planning team.
‘Whether a house builder is selling hundreds of plots, or just a few, we have been very successful in marketing and selling these new homes since the start of the year, as our figures show. We are seeing strong interest from home buyers for new homes in the current climate, who recognize that they are good value and often want to take advantage of the incentives that are offered with them,’ said Shipperley.
‘With many new developments in the pipeline for both Connells and Sequence, I am optimistic we will have a fantastic second half of 2011 in close collaboration with our house builder and lender partners,’ he added.