Almost half the country’s chartered surveyors reported that house prices were falling in May, the highest amount since 1992. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) survey shows that 49% reported a drop in prices in May compared to 40% in April and 37% in March, reigniting fears that a sharper downturn in the market may be around the corner. The average number of sales per surveyor also dropped, from 22 in the three months to April to 21 in the three months to May. The report also showed the number of completed sales had fallen by 29% since last May. The figures were tempered by signs that surveyors are becoming more optimistic about the state of the market. Interest rates are thought to have peaked, boosting confidence to its highest level since last November. Jeremy Leaf, a chartered surveyor and spokesman for RICS, said: “The number did worry me because I am a practising chartered surveyor and from a personal perspective we have seen a little bit of a bounce back.”