Reports that house price falls eased in February 2005 to the slowest pace in five years. For the three months to February 32% more surveyors noted falling prices over rising. Completed sales slipped back slightly in February with average sales per surveyor decreasing to 21. Stocks of unsold properties on surveyors' books surged in February up 13% over the past three months and 32% over the past year. The ratio of sales to unsold stocks fell to 27%, its lowest level since November 1996. Surveyors reported a modest rise in agreed sales and are holding firm in their sales activity outlook with expectations up slightly up from January. Their price outlook remains broadly negative but less pessimistic than in January. New buyer enquiries showed no change in February following three months of marginal declines. There has been a clear upward trend in the number of sellers in the market since the latter half of 2004.