House sales are suffering in areas that voted to stay in the EU
The property market has become skewed by how people voted in the EU referendum, with areas that voted to leave the EU becoming more active after the Brexit vote – and in areas that voted to stay, buyers ran for the hills.
The number of sales that have fallen through in areas that voted Remain jumped by more than 50 per cent on average in the weeks after the Brexit vote, according to the estate agent haart.
By comparison, the number of sales falling through in branches in areas that voted Leave dropped by two per cent.
In Bristol, where 62 per cent voted to stay in the EU, haart said there was a decline in activity in all of its branches. However, in Doncaster – where 69 per cent voted to exit the EU – there was a 25 per cent rise in the number of property listings in the weeks after the Brexit vote.
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Paul Smith, chief executive of haart estate agents, said: "It's clear that the 'winners' of the EU referendum are feeling much more confident about the future of the property market than those who voted Remain.
"The doom and gloom of the campaign has obviously had a lasting impact on how Remain voters feel about the economy and the property market, while Leave voters are much more relaxed.
"The reality is that we have a property market heavily driven by sentiment and it's the confident Leave voters who are currently keeping the market afloat."