Savills says profits rise, sees more market uncertainty in 2018 ​

GENEVA (Reuters) - Estate agents Savills (SVS.L) posted a marginally better than expected 3.5 percent rise in underlying profit to 140.5 million pounds ($196 million) for 2017 but said trading could face greater uncertainty this year.

Savills, which operates in Britain, continental Europe, Asia-Pacific and the United States, said it had made a solid start to the year but demand could fall in some areas.

"We have made a solid start to 2018 with a pipeline of business carried over from last year in many markets, although this is against the backdrop of heightened market uncertainty, geopolitical risks and rising interest rates," said Chief Executive Jeremy Helsby. ​

"We anticipate a tempering of the strong transaction volumes of recent times in some markets."

($1 = 0.7155 pounds)

(Reporting by Costas Pitas)