WEST FIFE estate agents are optimistic the housing market will bounce back after lockdown with demand for properties rising in recent weeks.

Movement on restrictions south of the border has also had an impact in Scotland, and in West Fife, estate agents have reported more activity from buyers and sellers as they look for the market to open again.

At Maloco + associates, based in Dunfermline's Bonnar Street, a buyer purchased a property without even visiting it physically last week – a first for the agents.

The business has been setting up dozens of virtual views and has had several offers too even though clients can't see the properties they are interested in physically.

Michael Maloco, senior partner of Maloco + associates, said: “We’ve had two really busy weeks. We’ve done five or six virtual valuations with four listings off the back of these.

"There have been lots of virtual viewings arranged and physical viewings booked in for when they are possible, with 18 bookings for one property alone.

"We're seeing a lot of pent-up demand."

Last week, Scotland published its COVID-19 route map, which stated that “preparing for the safe reopening of the housing market” would be part of Phase 1 and “relaxation of restrictions on housing moves” would be part of Phase 2, and this may have also boosted interest from home movers.

Across the board, ESPC has seen steady increases in viewing enquiries, valuation requests, Home Report downloads and web traffic for a few weeks now and the increase highlights that there remains strong interest in moving home once some of the current restrictions have eased.

Mr Maloco added: "We expect there to be a lot of activity in the first weeks back but we do have to be cautious too.

"Furlough will come to an end and after that, we will have to see what will happen with redundancies.

"If a business can't afford to pay staff then that will impact the market and it's sensible to recognise that.

"But I'm cautiously optimistic because, in Dunfermline, we have a number of public sector positions and not a massive amount of manufacturing, so I don't think this area will see a huge amount of redundancies that will harm the economy.

"On the other hand, you have three or four different predictions coming from economists about how the economy will recover so it is difficult to know."

He believes that many people will be reviewing their lifestyle now and wondering if the accommodation they are currently in will suit them in the future, which will have another impact on the market.

Interest rates are still at an all-time low too which also leaves the estate agent optimistic.

What is certain is that virtual viewing is here to stay for the future, not just during the coronavirus pandemic, but as a useful tool for buyers and sellers with busy 21st-century lives.

Michaela Jordan, property sales manager at Morgan's, told the Press that they had also seen an increase in activity in the last couple of weeks.

"We are getting more viewing requests and I think there is a lot of anticipation that things will get moving again," she said.

"Most people have wanted a face-to-face valuation rather than digital but we've got a lot of people booked desperate to get their house listed as soon as they can.

"Virtual viewings have been successful though and everyone has been trying to adapt!

"We have seen a trend that people living in a city now want to live in a rural location and also lots of enquiries from first-time buyers so that is a good sign.

"It's unknown what will happen, we'll just have to wait and see."