ONS data shows first-time buyers accounted for 52.8% of mortgage sales in 2025, compared with 33.8% around two decades earlier. This represents a structural shift in the market, with first-time buyers now central to mortgage distribution even as stamp duty changes and affordability pressures weigh on transaction volumes.
Advice firms should consider whether their proposition is designed for a digitally engaged but often information-poor first-time buyer audience. AI can support document checklists, affordability education, scheme eligibility prompts and timely follow-up, particularly around gifted deposits and complex income. However, automated tools should not present eligibility or affordability conclusions as final: advisers need to validate source-of-deposit evidence, lender policy, vulnerability indicators and suitability of the recommended product.