The markets are an example of what happens to property values when an economy is hammered and does not receive the kind of financial support, such as the furlough scheme, that kept the country afloat during the worst of the pandemic.

When the oil price plunged in 2016, property prices in Aberdeen fell by 20pc, said Mr Bain. “Some flats fell by a third.” Since then, values recovered slowly with oil prices, which plunged again during the 2020 lockdown.

That year, annual property prices fell 5.9pc in Aberdeen and 3.6pc in the shire.

“When you take a lot of people away from the oil and gas industry, the buy-to-let investors can’t command the rents they want,” said Mr Bain. In 2015, buy-to-let investors accounted for a fifth of flat purchasers in Aberdeen. “Now, we don’t have any.”

In 2016, a one-bedroom flat in Aberdeen cost £110,000. Today, it costs £80,000, still 27pc less. “Flats have gone down further in price this year. There is no competition at all. We ring a bell in the office if we sell a flat,” he added.

But the market for houses is increasingly strong. The oil industry has since picked up, while a shift to remote working has driven a surge in demand for rural Scottish property.

Before the pandemic, it was unusual for any property to have multiple offers. Now, two fifths of house sales have closing dates for competitive bids.