The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) has reported sharp rise in the number of property enquiries during March.

Its market report for March showed an increase in the number of house hunters registering with an agent across the UK. The figure rose from 268 in February to 290 in March as an average per branch – its highest level in eight months.

The number of houses available for sale decreased slightly from 70 per branch in February to 68 in March while the number of sales remained the same with eight per branch on average.

The percentage of sales made to first time buyers decreased slightly, moving from 25% of the market share to 23%, however this figure is still in line with the year-on-year average.

Michael Jones, the NAEA’s president, said: “We are very pleased to see that the market has remained relatively stable despite the continued economic pressures that are making life very difficult for homeowners and those looking to enter the property market.