A green shoot, but still a long way back

I imagine all of you connected to the property sector, like me, are pleased to witness the commencement of physical valuations and are equally delighted with the very first small signs of a reopening of the housing market - which has been so eagerly anticipated by us all.

We applaud the great work the likes of RICS, LGSS, ESURV, Connells, Countrywide, SDL etc have undoubtedly been doing behind the scenes working with the Government to make this happen. However, whilst this is a step forward and an early sign of positivity, in what is an unprecedented time, we must take this with a note of caution, there is a long road back to normality. Staying safe remains the number one priority for everyone as does adhering to exactly what the Government tells us to do, working together as an industry is key - all of this has and will change us and it has definitely brought out the best in people. As a nation we have united and as an industry we have done likewise - there is an undoubted sense of camaraderie and a will across all elements of our sector for everyone to succeed.

It is great to witness the first green shoots. But my word of caution is that this is the first positive small step on a long tough road that will have many bumps along the way which we’ll all still need to navigate together.

As we have done and continue to do - please stick together, remain focused, ultimately stay safe and quite rightly allow ourselves to enjoy these elements of positivity when they occur.