Purplebricks profit joy

PURPLEBRICKS expects half-year profits to be ahead of forecasts after strong sales over summer.

The online estate agent said demand was slow to pick up when the market first reopened in May but since June instructions had jumped 20pc.

The business is now expecting to report an 8pc increase of instructions to 35,387 for the six months to October 31 and said profits would be ‘comfortably ahead’ of the £3.5m predicted by analysts.

Shares leapt 7pc on the news yesterday.

But with England in lockdown from Thursday, it is not clear how house-hunters will react.