YORK estate agents posted record sales as demand for housing stayed buoyant during the traditionally quiet summer months.

Lesley Beattie, of York estate agents Quantum, in Walmgate, said the company had seen "record" levels of business in the last three weeks.

She said: "July and August are notoriously quiet times and there was a period in the summer when that was the case. But we have been recording record sales for the last three weeks, and other estate agents in the city I have spoken to have agreed."

She said York's booming jobs economy was most likely to be behind the strong performance of the housing market in the city.

Malcolm Parker, of Joplings, in Ripon, said demand was still strong for investment properties, despite the yield falling.

James Wattrus, head of surveys at Hunters, said: "The market just continues. It is still remarkably good. At the moment, if the property is right, then it will sell quickly."

Their comments come as new figures released by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors revealed that the holiday season had little impact on the demand for housing in York and North Yorkshire.

The study showed that prices were still rising in popular areas, such as York, with first-time buyers being squeezed out by buy-to-let investors.

Nationally, there was an increase in the number of investment buyers, and the steady rise in new people inquiring about houses continued. This was also causing a large increase in market confidence.

Updated: 11:15 Thursday, September 18, 2003