AUSTRALIA'S largest real estate group, Ray White, said it posted $2.37 billion of sales last month.

This was helped by the increase to the Federal Government's first home owners grant and lower interest rates.

Ray White said the March sales figure was a 15 per cent improvement on the same month last year.

Ray White chief executive for business growth Mark McLeod said the result was highly encouraging considering the challenging economic climate.

Charles Dickens house for sale

LAST week the former home of British writer Charles Dickens - where he wrote part of David Copperfield - went on to the market for $4.14 million.

The cliffside house in Broadstairs, in the southern UK county of Kent, was built in 1801 and has six bedrooms.