The number of prospective buyers registered per estate agent branch reached the highest level on record for the month of October, the latest figures show.

The average number of buyers registered per estate agent branch reached 451 during the month, an increase of almost a third – 32% – from October 2019 when there were just 341 house hunters on average per branch, according to National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) Propertymark’s October housing report.

However, this was down from 525 buyers registered per estate agent branch in September, as the market starts to see the traditional seasonal slowdown.

The data also revealed that an average of 12 sales were agreed per branch in October this year, the highest recorded for the month since 2006. This is up from eight in October 2018 and October 2019, the data revealed.

Month-on-month, the number of sales agreed per branch in October were down from 14 in September.

The number of sales to first-time buyers climbed from 19% to 21% in September. But this represented a fall of 6% from October 2019.

Meanwhile, the number of properties available per member branch stood at 39 in October, down from 41 in September.

In October, 7% of properties sold for more than the original asking price, a marginal fall from September when 8% of properties sold for more than the original asking price.

The majority – 58% – of properties sold for less than the original asking price in October.

Mark Hayward, chief executive of NAEA Propertymark, said: “Typically, we see the property market slow down as we approach the festive period and people put their sale on hold until the New Year. However, the pressure of completing sales ahead of the Stamp Duty holiday ending means that we have seen the number of potential buyers and the number of sales completed remain unusually high for this time of year.”

“This boom has been hugely beneficial for the housing market; however, we are increasingly concerned about the impact of the stamp duty cliff edge on 31st March 2021. This cliff edge has already increased pressure on service providers within the industry, causing delays for buyers and sellers, and could cause thousands of sales to fall through at the final hurdle as buyers realise their sale will not be completed ahead of the deadline.”

Agents are being urged to support calls to extend the stamp duty holiday.