Northern Ireland housing market 'improves slightly'

NI house prices continue to fall behind the rest of the UK

There has been a slight improvement in Northern Ireland's housing market, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RCIS).

After analysing figures for March, the RICS found that transaction levels have risen marginally.

However, it also found that NI house prices continue to fall behind the rest of the UK.

The institute said that prices are expected to remain broadly flat for the foreseeable future.

Its Northern Ireland spokesman, Tom McCelland, said: "There are unlikely to be any significant changes to local housing market conditions in the near future.

"The probable course is for market activity to increase slowly from current low levels of activity and for prices to remain broadly flat over the medium-term.

"However there will be variations and there are risks."