The number of house hunters fell for the second consecutive month in September, according to the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA).

Its market report for September showed a slight fall in the number of house hunters registering with an agent across the country. The figure declined from 250 in August to 247 in September as an average per branch.

The number of houses available for sale increased from 69 per branch in August to 72 in September while the number of sales remained the same at 7 per branch on average.

The percentage of sales made to first time buyers dropped from 21% in August to 20% in September, suggesting that this group continues to encounter difficulty in obtaining a mortgage.

NAEA president Michael Jones said: “It is good to see that sales have remained consistent but the drop in the number of first time buyers is still a concern.