The housing market is steadying but there are no signs of an impending price crash, a survey has found.

The National Association of Estate Agents said its members were reporting a steadying in price rises, suggesting the market was beginning to shift in favour of buyers.

But a survey due to be released on Monday will say that the North's housing market is still booming, with the South dragging the national figures down.

Yesterday's figures showed that during last month, buyers were able to negotiate discounts averaging 3.5 per cent on the asking price, compared with 2.8 per cent the previous month.

But at the same time, it said the number of people looking to buy a new home remained high, with 12 buyers chasing every property, suggesting the market was not in danger of crashing.