Industry places most confidence in first-time buyer sector

A webinar poll conducted by Countrywide Surveying Services has revealed that the first-time buyer sector is where property professionals place the most confidence for 2025.

The poll showed that half of respondents identified first-time buyers as the sector they are most confident about this year. This was followed by new build at 18%, later life lending at 13%, buy-to-let at 3%, and foreign national and expat lending at just 2%. Notably, 14% of respondents selected ‘none’, signalling some uncertainty within specific lending segments.

When asked more broadly about confidence in the UK housing and mortgage market in 2025, the outlook was cautiously optimistic. Over half of respondents (54%) expressed confidence in the year ahead, while 37% said they were neither confident nor not confident, and only 9% said they were not confident. 

The session also explored the most pressing issues that need to be addressed to support housing and mortgage market growth this year. Affordability emerged as the most critical concern, cited by 38% of participants. A further 30% said that continuing to reduce interest rates was the most important factor, while 11% pointed to the need for a Help to Buy replacement. Other priorities included stamp duty reform and more support for landlords, each identified by 9% of respondents, with 3% highlighting the importance of boosting later life lending.

Despite industry optimism in certain segments, the audience expressed strong scepticism around government commitments to affordable housing and new build delivery. When asked whether they believed the government would hit its targets in these areas in 2025, 74% of respondents said no, compared to just 26% who said yes. This overwhelming lack of confidence underscores persistent concerns around housing supply, planning delays, and the delivery of meaningful policy reform. 

Matthew Cumber, managing director at Countrywide Surveying Services, commented: “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. 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.”