Winkworth profits more than double

"We expect that the impact of housing market cycles will continue to have a reducing impact on the Group's results," says major property Plc, which owns estate agency brands including Marsh & Parsons.

Countrywide acquisition has proved to be a "great triumph" says Connells CEO David Livesey.

"The UK prime residential market continued to perform exceptionally strongly through the last quarter," says Savills, "and volumes in the Prime Central London market clearly began to improve.