Royal Institution Chartered Surveyors and Rics

number properties: Expectations of price rises were being driven by a shortage of stock for sale, it said, with March seeing the number of properties being put on to the market falling for a second month running, according to The Guardian. In most parts of the country, Rics said the imbalance of supply and demand was pushing up prices. Although the number of sales and inquiries from prospective homebuyers flatlined in March, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said the proportion of its members who were expecting prices to increase over the next year was at its highest level since spring 2014. Across the UK, 21% more surveyors reported a rise in house prices in March, up from 15% in February. The chief economist at Rics, Simon Rubinsohn, said: The boost that was given to the housing market by the Help to Buy scheme has begun to dissipate and activity levels have slipped back. Also, 15% more surveyors expected prices to increase over the next three months compared with 10% in February.A net balance of 70% of surveyors predicted price increases in the year ahead averaging 2.5%, marking a 10-month high. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.