Estate agents have reported cancelled viewings and an increase in video tours of homes, the Telegraph is claimiing.

It says that buying agent Henry Pryor was forced to cancel a viewing an hour before it was due to take place because the owner had just returned from Italy with a cold.

He added: “I am doing more video tours rather than sending clients to see houses. I’ve cancelled all my meetings this week and rescheduled them with Skype or FaceTime.”

Mark Hayward, chief executive of the NAEA told the paper that some sellers have asked estate agents to check where potential buyers had been on holiday before scheduling a viewing.

The Telegraph report quotes winners and losers in the coronavirus scare. Winners apparently include black cabs because customers like the screen between them and the driver, while losers include restaurants and hotels. The report says that hairdressers are being encouraged to wear face masks, while mediums are conducting psychic readings via Skype.

However, according to outsourced viewing service Viewber, viewings are not falling off – yet, anyway.

Co-founder Ed Mead said last night: “Indeed viewings in Feb were 50% up on January. But guess this is a minute by minute thing these days.

“Currently, March is holding steady from Viewber’s perspective.”

Research done online for London estate agent Benham and Reeves claimed that 9% of people who had been in the throes of buying or selling had called things off, and that a further 9% who had been planning to buy or sell later this year have put the idea on hold. Altogether, 83% of the 1,000 queried said they would not be put off.

The research was run last weekend through a journalists’ online resource.