What do you do when the property market's been showing contradictory signs for a year and you just can't call it? You get the experts in for a round-up. The Times' s Catherine Riley does today what the Independent's Graham Norwood did just over a week ago, but she manages to trounce him by a full five experts (not including the newspaper's own Economics Editor Gary Duncan). Knight Frank's never-knowingly-underquoted Liam Bailey appears in both lists, but outside of that each paper fields a unique team, with the Times's heavy hitters Martin Ellis (Halifax), Peter Bolton King (NAEA), David Pretty (Barratt Group) and Milan Khatri (RICS) walking all over the Independent's more media-orientated list. The Rat and Mouse is currently working on a fantasy league housing market expert team that will redefine the game of predictions (your nominations welcome). Oh yeah - they all reckon not much is going to happen... except Primelocation's Ian Springett, who's still not afraid of using the c word:

Prices have waned somewhat in the past year outside the capital, but the real story is the amount of stock that has come on to the market - 50 per cent higher than a year ago and still rising. It's this sector that needs a reality check on prices, and it's likely that there will be a noticeable correction in the coming months.

Experts give the market 5.5 out of 10 [October 12]