Estate agents and housebuilders continue to reap the benefits of the booming property market

Estate agents and housebuilders continue to reap the benefits of the booming property market.

Updates from Savills, Persimmon and Vistry showed demand for housing remains strong in the wake of the pandemic.

Estate agent Savills raised its profit forecasts after sales of expensive properties exceeded expectations.

Hot property: Updates from Savills, Persimmon and Vistry showed demand for housing remains strong in the wake of the pandemic

It said profits for the year would be ‘materially ahead of 2019’. 

Shares fell 0.1 per cent, or 1p, to 1419p. Persimmon flagged up ‘healthy demand’ in the four months to November, saying sales were still ‘well ahead’ of pre-pandemic levels.

Boss Dean Finch said Persimmon is aiming to build 10 per cent more houses in 2021 than the 13,575 it completed in 2020. The shares dropped 2.6 per cent, or 71p to 2650p.

Vistry, the owner of the Bovis Homes, has sold all its planned houses for 2021. It reiterated its full-year profit forecast of £345million as sales accelerated.

Its shares fell 1.6 per cent, or 18.5p, to 1129p.