By Enzo Mora, CEO and founder of The Mortgage Brain 

Homeowners reading the headlines heralding the latest interest rate rise may get the impression that the property market is heading for a downturn. But that couldn't be further from the truth!

While the Bank of England base rate is forecast to rise in further small increments this year, mortgage interest rates overall are still incredibly low.

Property prices have risen on average by over £27,000 since last year according to recent data from Halifax.

Rightmove's latest research says that we enter the spring selling season with the biggest mismatch between supply and demand for this time of year ever, with more than twice as many buyers as sellers. This can only mean one thing, that we'll see the price of homes continue to go up for the foreseeable future.

However, if you are looking to remortgage, perhaps if your fixed rate mortgage deal is coming to an end, you may well find fewer options around now compared to the beginning of the year, especially if you go direct to a high street lender.

That's where an independent mortgage broker like The Mortgage Brain can really help. As property prices rise there's a good chance the equity in your property has increased too so we will be able to search the whole mortgage market, not just one lender, to find a better mortgage that's right for you. And because we have close relationships with lenders, you'll probably find that the deal is exclusive to our customers, so you won't find it yourself on the high street.

We're all acutely aware of inflation and the effect that the crisis in Ukraine is having on gas and oil prices and the knock-on effect on the cost of living in the UK. Securing a better mortgage deal could mean your repayments will go down which will go some way to covering any extra costs on your monthly budget.

We always say it's worth a phone call to us whatever your circumstances for friendly, sound advice to make sure you make the right mortgage decision. By sorting a good deal now you will future-proof your finances against further interest rate rises.