Webinar poll also reveals cautious optimism across the market
Property professionals see the first-time buyer market as the most promising segment for the year, a recent industry poll has revealed.
According to the results of the survey, conducted during a webinar hosted by Countrywide Surveying Services (CSS), 50% of participants expressed the most confidence in the first-time buyer sector for 2025.
New build followed at 18%, with later life lending at 13%, buy-to-let at 3%, and foreign national and expat lending trailing at 2%. A further 14% indicated no particular confidence in any category, reflecting some market uncertainty.
The growing focus on first-time buyers aligns with recent data from mortgage adviser Alexander Hall. The firm reported that in 2024, first-time buyers made up 28.7% of its total mortgage activity, a steady increase in mortgage market share from 23.3% in 2023 and 22.3% in 2022.
Confidence in the broader housing and mortgage market was more cautious. Just over half (54%) of respondents said they felt confident about 2025, while 37% were neutral and 9% were not confident.
Participants also pointed to key challenges facing the market. Affordability topped the list, with 38% identifying it as the most urgent issue. Another 30% highlighted interest rate reductions as critical for market health. Smaller shares called for a replacement for the Help to Buy scheme (11%), stamp duty changes (9%), landlord support (9%), and increased focus on later life lending (3%).
When asked whether the government was likely to meet its housing and new build targets this year, most respondents were doubtful. Nearly three-quarters (74%) said they did not believe the targets would be achieved, while only 26% said they would. The result highlights ongoing concerns around housing delivery, planning bottlenecks and the pace of policy reform.
“These insights paint a picture of a market that is still navigating economic pressures and grappling with fundamental issues but is starting to see signs of stabilisation and resilience,” said Matthew Cumber (pictured), managing director at Countrywide Surveying Services. “It’s encouraging to see such strong confidence emerging towards first-time buyers and new build, but the message from the industry is clear in that affordability and housing supply must be prioritised if we want to see sustainable growth.
“Our role is to continue supporting informed decisions and facilitating honest conversations across the sector, and we’re proud that our webinar series is helping to lead that dialogue and shape the right conversations across the industry.”
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