Agents’ cautious optimism as auction sales increase

Fianna Fail’s u-turn on the reform of stamp duty, coupled with an increase in the number of properties selling under the hammer in Dublin last week, have given vendors and estate agents grounds for cautious optimism on the future of the property market.

All of the main political parties have committed to abolishing stamp duty for first-time buyers, a fact which agents believe has brought much-needed certainty back to the market.

‘‘People now ...