October saw a big rise in the number of people looking to buy a home.

That’s according to the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) which has just issued its report for the month showing that there was a 25 per cent increase in the number of househunters looking to buy.

The report also shows that couples bought nine out of 10 properties sold, with only six per cent being sold to individuals.

Jan Hÿtch, NAEA president, said: “The overall housing market is showing marked signs of improvement compared to previous years and sales have remained strong in October.

“Competitive mortgages have played an important part in the recovery but I will watch the first time buyer numbers with considerable interest in the coming months to see if the decline reported by our members is addressed by the take up of Help to Buy.

“The significant number of house hunters entering the market in October actively looking for property means there is a lot more competition across the board, especially for the best properties. “The drop in supply of properties will only exaggerate competition further so for the best chance to secure the home you want buyers should have all their paperwork in order. “This will show agents that you are a serious buyer and should speed up the overall process.”

Despite this influx of house hunters, first time buyer (FTB) figures dropped, from 25 per cent in September to 24 per cent in October, making this the second month in a row in which agents saw fewer FTBs. There was also a sharp drop in properties available for sale this month, falling from an average of 57 per branch in September to an average of 53 per branch in October – a drop of seven per cent.

Sales remained strong with NAEA member agents reporting an increase in completions, up from an average of nine per branch in September to 10 in October.

The most popular group purchasing property in October was the 31 to 40 year olds. They led the way making up 43 per cent of home buyers, followed closely by 41 to 55 year olds.