The first quarter of this year did not match the opening three months of last year on the sales side of the business, Connells has reported.

New applicants and new instructions were both down by 7%, with the number of viewings down 11% and 8% fewer offers.

Sales agreed dipped 10%.

However, lettings made a strong start, with new instructions up 12% on the first quarter of last year, new applicants up 17%, and agreed tenancies up 12%.

Connells says that the average UK rent in March stood at £798 – 3% up on the year before.

* This morning, Nationwide said the average house price is now £193,048, up from £189,454 in March. Chief economist Robert Gardner said: “The pick-up in price growth has occurred even though the pace of activity in the housing market has remained fairly subdued in recent months. Indeed, the number of mortgage approvals is still well below its long run average and 20% below the levels recorded in early 2014. The strength of the economy and relatively subdued pace of activity in the housing market remains something of an anomaly.”