First Time Buyer Portal Reports Increase in Enquiries from Gen Z 

Signalling Generation Z’s motivation to get onto the housing ladder, leading first time buyer property portal Share to Buy reports an increase in the number of young people enquiring about alternative routes to home ownership. 

Enquiries from first time buyers between the ages of 18 and 25 have increased 12% in the last year, as more young people turn to Shared Ownership and Help to Buy to help them step onto the property ladder. Of these younger buyers at the start of their home buying journey 60% are currently living at home with their families, while over half are hoping to buy in the same location they are currently living.

The increase in young first time buyers registering with Share to Buy is a sign of a wider trend across the site. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the usual seasonal dip in housing enquiries during the summer months, Share to Buy saw record demand during Summer 2020, with new registrants up over 80% on the previous year and property enquiries up a whopping 101% on Summer 2019.

Highlighting that aspirations of home ownership in London remain strong, 18.9% of enquiries were made by Londoners hoping to move within the city, or potential purchasers looking to make a move into the capital.  

Nick Lieb, Head of Operations for Share to Buy comments, 

“As the COVID-19 pandemic has created a shift in priorities, we’ve seen a huge surge in people looking to make the move onto the housing ladder. It’s encouraging to see the growing trend extend to young people determined to get onto the housing ladder and putting time into researching all their options. Alternative routes such as Shared Ownership and Help to Buy are a real lifeline to many first time buyers, removing the barrier of eye-wateringly high deposits we see so often in affluent cities such as London and Cambridge.  

“Over 60% of the young people that have registered on Share to Buy over the past year have a deposit of up to £10,000 – so by purchasing a percentage share through Shared Ownership rather than the property’s full market value, home ownership could definitely be within their reach.”

Share to Buy is a one stop shop for first time buyers, offering the country’s largest listing of Shared Ownership and Help to Buy homes available. Ideal for the tech-savvy generation, in addition to extensive property listings the portal offers a number of jargon busting videos, educational resources and helpful tools such as a Mortgage Calculator, helping England’s youngest budding buyers navigate the home buying process. 

Adding to Share to Buy’s digital bank of resources, the portal also hosts regular interactive webinars, giving interested first time buyers the opportunity to hear directly from industry experts and housing’s leading names on everything from Shared Ownership eligibility to how to navigate the mortgage process.