Scottish market boom heralds agency expansion

The boom in transactions as well as prices north of the border may be one of the hidden stories of the housing market recovery with the latest evidence being the expansion of one of the country's leading property consultancies.

GKD Galbraith is opening a new office in Aberdeen to focus on high-quality residential sales and well as farm and estate management and valuation and is expanding its presence in Argyll and Isles, with a revamped resi sales team.

There have also been a range of promotions and team enlargements according to Simon Brown, a partner and head of CKD Galbraith's residential division.

We witnessed a growth in business across all our offices in Scotland in 2013 and experienced an increase in property sales, up 34 per cent on previous year's figures he says. The company now employs more than 225 people in 14 offices across Scotland, making it one of the largest residential players.

Meanwhile new figures confirm the Scottish market's rude health.

Average prices there climbed £5,584 in last 12 months with Aberdeen shooting ahead by 13 per cent in a year according to a survey by LSL Property Services.

Total house sales in Scotland rose by 12 per cent between January and February this year alone; Inverclyde topped the sales table, with transactions in the three months to February climbing by 56 per cent compared to a year ago.

Help to Buy has been the spark driving recovery for the Scottish housing market. Since launching, the scheme has helped thousands get a foot on the ladder. With sustained growth taking hold, there are now signs that the independence debate is less likely to rock the housing recovery boat says LSL spokesman Gordon Fowlis.