There was an average of 461 people looking for a house per estate agent branch in December 2021, says a report from Propertymark.

This, it says, is a record number and a 33% increase on December 2020’s number.

And on the other side of the equation, there were 19 properties per member branch at the same time – the lowest Propertymark has ever recorded.

There was a monthly dip in sales agreed, to 5 versus 7 in November, but this is in line with the five-year average, the report says.

It also shows that the proportion of sales to first-time buyers dipped on a monthly basis, from 29% in November to 14% in the final month of the year.

Propertymark chief executive Nathan Emerson comments: “Although December shows the usual festive lull compared with previous months, demand has still been incredibly high when compared against pre-pandemic data with more house hunters registered than in any other December.

“This could point to a busy January and a perfect time to sell your home if you’ve been thinking about it.”