"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"
- Matthew Cumber - Countrywide Surveying Services
A recent webinar poll by Countrywide Surveying Services (CSS) has shown that property professionals have placed the greatest level of confidence in the first-time buyer (FTB) market heading into 2025.
Exactly half of respondents (50%) selected first-time buyers as the sector they felt most confident about in the coming year. This figure was significantly higher than other areas of the market, with 18% pointing to new build, 13% identifying later life lending, and just 3% backing buy-to-let. Lending to foreign nationals and expats received support from only 2% of those polled. Meanwhile, 14% chose ‘none’, reflecting a degree of caution across parts of the lending landscape.
When asked about their overall confidence in the UK housing and mortgage market for 2025, more than half (54%) of participants said they felt confident. A further 37% said they were neutral, while 9% expressed a lack of confidence.
The discussion also addressed key challenges likely to shape the market this year. Affordability stood out as the most cited issue, with 38% of respondents highlighting it as their top concern. Another 30% pointed to the importance of continued interest rate reductions. Other factors included the need for a Help to Buy replacement (11%), stamp duty reform (9%), and increased landlord support (also 9%). Only 3% of participants focused on expanding later life lending.
Confidence in government housing plans was noticeably lower. When asked whether they believed targets around affordable housing and new build delivery would be met in 2025, nearly three-quarters (74%) responded ‘no’. Just 26% said they thought the targets would be achieved. The figures point to enduring concerns around housing supply, planning delays, and the effectiveness of policy implementation.
The webinar brought together a panel of experts to reflect on first-quarter activity and share perspectives on the remainder of the year. Speakers included Terry Higgins, group managing director at New Build Mortgage Services; Aneisha Beveridge, head of research at Hamptons; Martyn Stones, director of technical services at Countrywide Surveying Services; and Rob Stevens, head of property risk at Nationwide Building Society.
The session, hosted by Matthew Cumber (pictured), managing director at Countrywide Surveying Services, attracted over 250 attendees, including brokers, developers, lenders, and surveyors.
“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," Cumber comments, "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.”
