The housing market kicked off 2020 with its strongest sales and price rises for years amid a surge in demand for London property. Sellers flooded back into the housing market after the post-election bounce extended into a second month following December"s Tory landslide, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics). The organisation"s sales gauge climbed to its highest level in almost six years, with a net balance – the difference between respondents reporting higher rather than lower sales – rising to +21 from +9. An end to the Brexit impasse appears to have relieved pressure on the housing market following a weak 2019 dogged by political uncertainty. More sellers entered the market in January than any other month since 2013, with the increase expected to continue after a rise in enquiries. Simon Rubinsohn, Rics chief economist, said the pick-up in new listings was a “noteworthy and much needed development” after a dearth last year pulled the number of properties on sale to record lows. Rics" house price indicator climbed to a score of +17, the highest level in almost three years, as London"s market returned to growth territory. Industry experts are predicting more strong gains, with expectations for prices and sales over the next 12 months rising close to their highest levels on record. However, economists have warned the recovery seen in the housing market could prove short-lived. Price growth stuttered last year in the face of political volatility and tensions between the UK and European Union could reverberate in the housing market again later this year. Hansen Lu, of Capital Economics, warned that the latest bounce would be hard to sustain. He said: "With another Brexit deadline coming this year, the latest uptick in sentiment probably won’t last. On balance, we expect the rebound in housing market activity to cool by the middle of the year." Mr Rubinsohn added: “It remains to be seen how long this new-found market momentum is sustained for, and political uncertainty may resurface towards the end of the year.”