Getty Images
The research firm said property sales will rebound in the fall due to a shift in the “mood” of the housing market.
However, a survey by property information website Rightmove suggests that some buyers will make an offer after a short viewing.
A fifth of buyers questioned said they looked at a property for less than 20 minutes before making a bid.
It comes after Britain's largest mortgage lender said house prices are likely to rise for the rest of the year.
Sales are expected to increase
Expectations for increased sales have reached their highest level since the beginning of 2020, according to the Royal Institution of Surveyors (RICS).
The monthly report found that survey respondents expect economic activity to recover over the next three months, with an increasing number of people predicting an increase over the next 12 months.
RICS chairman Simon Rubinson said the government's housebuilding pledges and the Bank of England's first interest rate cut in four years had “changed the mood in the house sales market”.
“Massive challenges lie ahead in delivering on the ambitions of the planned reforms and it is far from clear whether the Bank of England will follow up on its August measures with further easing in the coming months,” he said.
“But even so, the policy mix is becoming more supportive for the sector.”
Buyer demand is expected to increase, but that may not match the number of homes coming onto the market.
This could result in higher home prices and increased competition among home buyers.
Zoopla's research found that a fifth of respondents who had made a purchase in the past five years made an offer after a total of 20 minutes of browsing.
The average was 49 minutes, but some people only spent less than five minutes looking around.
Daniel Copley, consumer expert at Zoopla, said: “Buying a home is the most expensive purchase of most people's lives, so it's important to do everything you can to inspect every element to save time and money in the future.”
During the pandemic, lockdown restrictions meant some buyers were only making offers via virtual viewings.
Competition for indoor and outdoor space at the time, as well as stamp duty incentives, boosted sales, particularly in rural and coastal areas.
Since then, sales have stalled due to rising mortgage rates.
However, there are signs of increased competition among lenders amid expectations that overall borrowing costs will fall.
Lloyds Banking Group's Halifax bank said on Wednesday that the fall in mortgage rates would be “encouraging” for first-time homebuyers, those stepping up the home-buying ladder or those refinancing.
But the company warned that high house prices and a shortage of properties remain problems for buyers.
The Bank of England last week cut interest rates to 5%, its first cut since the pandemic began in March 2020, but its governor warned not to expect a further wave of cuts.
How to make your mortgage more affordable
Pay early: If you can still afford a low fixed-rate deal, you may be able to save later by paying more now. Switch to an interest-only mortgage: You don't have to pay off any debt you incurred when buying a home, but you can keep your monthly payments to something you can afford. Extend the term of your mortgage: 25 years is the typical mortgage term, but 30 and even 40-year terms are now available.
Click here for details