Only 258 house-hunters registered with estate agents during February...

googler

Graham_Devon wrote: »

So it tells us, well, not much at all.

Plus, I haven't got a clue what the becnhmark is. Not sure in all honesty whether any of us do. Obviously Hamish will know.

Well, read on in the article, and they also cite the number of properties on the market, on average, with each agent, and suggest that implies 'four buyers for each property', so it maybe means little in isolation, but something when combined with other figures.

The benchmark would seem to be the previous months' and years' statistics - although there's no indication of the NAEA providing a graph, maybe some intrepid soul will search their website for us, and compile one......

Graham_Devon

googler wrote: »

Well, read on in the article, and they also cite the number of properties on the market, on average, with each agent, and suggest that implies 'four buyers for each property', so it maybe means little in isolation, but something when combined with other figures.

This is the problem. It doesn't at all.

If I sign up to Tesco clubcard 10 times, does that mean they have 10 customers?

The 4 buyers to 1 property "statistic" is just meaningless. Nothing less than a soundbite.

googler

Don't see how your Tesco analogy matches up to one buyer registering with 10 different agents.... but at least we seem to have established that it's 258 registering on average with each agent, rather than 258 nationwide.

Graham_Devon

googler wrote: »

Don't see how your Tesco analogy matches up to one buyer registering with 10 different agents.... but at least we seem to have established that it's 258 registering on average with each agent, rather than 258 nationwide.

OK, shall I put it another way?

If I sign up to Nectar for Sainsburys, Clubcard for Tesco's, Whatever for Morrisons, Asda, Waitrose, Co-Op, Iceland.

Does it mean that I am likely to go do my full weeks shopping several times over in each and every one of them?

Or am I likely to do my full weeks shopping once?

Just because I am registered "on their books" as it were, as a potential customer, it does not mean I am going to be doing my shopping with them.

If I sign up to 10 agents. Am I likely to buy 10 houses? Therefore, fighting another buyer buying 8 houses as he's signed up to 8 agents?

Rinoa

carolt wrote: »

Doesn't sound much, does it?

I now understand why 1 swallow appears to make a summer, if these are the magnitude of figures they're discussing nationally. :eek:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/borrowing/mortgages/7453668/House-buyers-at-lowest-level-for-a-year.html

"Only 258 house-hunters registered with estate agents during February, the lowest level for a year."

You missed the important stat:

But despite the fall in buyer numbers, the NAEA said the average number of sales agreed per estate agent still rose to 6.8 during the month, up from 5.7 in January.

Sales up 20% MoM. That'll do me. :T

Graham_Devon

Rinoa wrote: »

You missed the important stat:



Sales up 20% MoM. That'll do me. :T

Yes, but what is it usually, seriously?

I'm intrigued to know now.

princessamy86

Graham_Devon, when you say what is it usually, do you mean pre-crash or just generally overall since crash?

Rinoa

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Yes, but what is it usually, seriously?

I'm intrigued to know now.

Eh?

It's like shovelling fog trying to debate with you GD.

Graham_Devon

princessamy86 wrote: »

Graham_Devon, when you say what is it usually, do you mean pre-crash or just generally overall since crash?

I guess "average" over a few years.

googler

Graham_Devon wrote: »

OK, shall I put it another way?

If I sign up to Nectar for Sainsburys, Clubcard for Tesco's, Whatever for Morrisons, Asda, Waitrose, Co-Op, Iceland.

Does it mean that I am likely to go do my full weeks shopping several times over in each and every one of them?

If each of the supermarkets had one unqiue product that no other supermarket had (as in each EA having sole agency for each property on their books), it might be a different analogy....?