The average asking price of property coming to market fell for the first time this year in July, according to Rightmove.

It its latest house price index, Rightmove recorded a fall of 1.6% (£3,797) for the 108,249 properties marketed within the last month, after six consecutive months of rising prices, affecting the gain of 8.1% over the first half of the year.

It said around 70% of property marketed so far in 2011 are still on the market.

Miles Shipside, director of Rightmove, said: “Summer sellers are more nervous about their selling prospects than the early birds who asked ever higher prices during the first six months of this year. Early sellers in 2011 had a chance of worming their way into the more active spring market