First-time buyers account for half of purchase loans in 2025
“Even in a higher-cost environment, first-time homebuyers are still finding ways to achieve their goal of owning a home.”
Kimber White, President of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB), underscores how recent reforms are expanding affordability and opening new opportunities for mortgage brokers and aspiring homeowners.https://t.co/b1nTOZRyt7
— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) June 30, 2026
First-time buyers: younger, leaner, and still in the market
The 49% share represents a decline from 56% in 2022, per Newrez data, but the median age of first-time buyers held steady at 33. That’s consistent with Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) definitions and at odds with widely circulated National Association of Realtors figures that placed the median age of first-time buyers at 40.
Down payment data show buyers continuing to stretch. The median down payment for first-timers was 4.85% of the purchase price, with a median purchase price of $345,741, up 10% from 2022.
Median borrower income for the cohort rose from $61,728 to $77,208 over the same period, according to Newrez.
