Charles Stanley's Yearsley: Investors have missed the property rally

The latest sales figures from the IMA show property was the bestselling sector in May, but Charles Stanley Direct's head of investment research Ben Yearsley said many investors are piling in too late and have missed the rally in the asset class.

In May, funds in the IMA Property sector posted their highest net retail sales since December 2009, with inflows of £491m. Property funds have performed well over the past year, with the average fund in the IMA Property sector delivering 5% over the year to 15 July, according to FE. However, even property investors concede returns are likely to be lower in the near future. Yearsley (pictured) said: "For some reason, retail investor money always seems to pile in after the event. After the good returns have been made, the asset class becomes popular. However much investors are warned pa...