The majority of the nation’s estate agents are seriously disappointed with the Government’s approach to managing and stimulating the property market, according to a new survey.

Fewer than one in five believe the Government’s ambitions to build more homes will be enough to solve the issue of housing affordability according to GetAgent boss Colby Short (pictured).

In its survey, the agent comparison site asked estate agents how they would best describe the current Government with respect to the property market initiatives implemented since its first major fiscal statement back in October of last year.

Underwhelming

Just 7% described Labour’s attempts to manage the property market as positive, with the majority (40%) believing it had so far been disappointing, whilst almost a quarter (23%) answered that it had been underwhelming.

During the Autumn Statement last October, says GetAgent, it was announced that there would be no extension to Stamp Duty relief thresholds and, despite the increased cost this move would bring to homeowners, no extension was granted in the recent Spring Statement, nor was any other cost-saving measure introduced to help homebuyers tackle the high cost of climbing the ladder.

72% of those surveyed believe that, by failing to throw a bone of any sort, the Government has ignored homebuyers and the tough task they face in today’s market.

Labour, adds GetAgent, has been quick to state it would build more homes in order to help ease the housing crisis, committing to building 1.5m new homes by 2030.

However, just 17% of those surveyed believe that this would fully address affordability constraints. In addition, 66% feel that more short-term measures are required to help homebuyers, such as the re-introduction of the Help to Buy scheme.

We’ve seen no aid afforded to the nation’s homebuyers.”

Short commented: “Our current Government’s pledge to build more homes is an admirable one, but it’s a promise that we’ve seen time and time again and one that has never been fulfilled by hitting housing delivery targets.

“So it’s understandable that the property industry is not only sceptical about the Government’s ambitions to build 1.5m new homes by 2030 but would also like to see more done in the short term to stimulate the market and tackle the issue of affordability for the nation’s buyers.

“This is hardly surprising given that over the last two fiscal statements, we’ve seen no aid afforded to the nation’s homebuyers and, in fact, the slight relief that was in place in the form of a Stamp Duty saving has been removed.”