Agents see surge in house-hunters

Estate agents saw house-hunter numbers surge to their highest level in more than five years last month, boosting hopes that 2013 will be a "better year" for the market.

Some 314 would-be buyers on average registered with an agent in January, marking the highest number seen since September 2007, the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) said.%VIRTUAL-SkimlinksPromo%