No thanks to Simon Cowell but the “Exe Factor” is still driving the local market, with Exeter still ranking as one of the best places to live in the UK, reflected by continued healthy levels of activity in both sales and rentals.

Clearly, one might expect a tail-off at this time of year but demand for realistically-priced homes is as high as we might ever have hoped for, as we approach the run-up to the Christmas period.

“You have to be in it to win it” (as they say) and many sellers who have either entered the market in recent weeks, or those who have resisted the temptation to take a break over the winter, have seen plenty of interest from eager buyers attracted by the “Exe Factor” and all the city and surrounding area has to offer.

Realistic pricing has proven to be the key to success for many home movers, who have realised good sale prices on their own properties and at the same time secured their next home at a realistic price. Many sales achieved in the last few weeks have been above the quoted guide prices, as savvy builders have recognised true value – helped by the “evidence” of their own experience (either missing-out on other properties, or maybe seeing lots of other interested people at one of our many Open Houses).

“Buyers are being more selective when choosing which properties to view”.

Many buyers now rely on their own research on the likes of Zoopla, or simply seeing a property stand-out against unrealistically priced properties in their Rightmove search results.

We are seeing buyers being more selective in their choice of properties to view and not surprisingly, the higher the rate of people “clicking-through” to view full details of a property listed on the internet, the greater the number of actual viewers to the property.

Interest in out-of-town properties in particular is being influenced more than ever by travel times, local facilities and broadband speed – the latter being a “new” factor that is important to those relocating attracted by the “Exe Factor” who need to work from home.

Many of these factors are equally important to tenants – even more so for some – with the cost of renting, as a percentage of earnings, still greater than buying and likely to remain so for some time to come..

Roger Wilkinson

Wilkinson Grant & Co