April a month of 'market contrasts' as buy-to-let searches fall to record low: Twenty7tec

The latest platform data from Twenty7tec shows that April 2025 was a month of market contrasts – with buy-to-let mortgage searches falling to their lowest share since records began, as self-employed activity hit new highs.

The figures reveal that buy-to-let mortgage searches fell to 14.74% of the overall market – the lowest share recorded since reporting began in January 2020.

At the same time, self-employed mortgage searches reached record levels on 28th and 29th April.

In addition, the market saw a clear shift toward shorter-term mortgages, with 44.13% of fixed product searches focused on two-year or shorter terms, up from 40.95% in March.

April saw a strong end to the month in terms of adviser activity. Four of the top seven busiest days ever were recorded for ESIS documents in the 90%+ LTV market, alongside a noticeable rise in residential purchase searches – including two days that ranked in the 20 busiest days on record.

Product availability also remained high, peaking at 25,266 early in the month, with a slight increase in total product count by month-end.

Nathan Reilly, director at Twenty7tec, commented: “April’s mortgage market painted a picture of contrasts. Just last month, buy-to-let searches were among the highest we've ever recorded. Fast forward to April, and we’re seeing the lowest share of the market for buy-to-let activity since we began tracking – particularly in the £150,000–£250,000 range, where searches fell by more than 24%. At the same time, first-time buyer interest remained strong, making up nearly a quarter of all search activity – a trend we’ve now seen for five consecutive months.

“More widely, we saw signs of borrowers seeking greater flexibility – with growing demand for shorter-term products and average applicant salaries reaching new highs. We also saw a sharp rise in searches from self-employed applicants, perhaps another reflection of a market adapting to uncertainty.

“April’s figures show that the market is still very much in motion, with advisers and customers responding in real time to shifts in product availability, affordability, and wider sentiment. And as for the buy-to-let market – is this just a blip, or are we seeing the start of a longer-term shift? Either way, we encourage advisers and lenders to keep a close eye on how things unfold in the months ahead.”