+4.3 on previous index reading
The Housing Pulse rose 4.3 in May 2021 to come in at 112.3. This was 87.0 higher than a year ago and the thirteenth consecutive monthly gain for the index. Some three quarters of households think house prices will increase over the next year as supply continues to trail a long way behind demand and the construction sector struggles with labour, material and equipment shortages (which are putting upward pressure on costs as well as hindering production). On the rental front, expectations also tracked higher this month, with almost two thirds of survey respondents now anticipating rent increases over the coming year.