More hitting first rung of ladder

FIRST-TIME buyers made up just over one in three home sales in January, as falls in mortgage rates have widened the pool of people able to get on the property ladder, says a leading property firm.

- VICKY SHAW

Connells Group, which includes brands such as Barnard Marcus, Hamptons, and Bairstow Eves, said the percentage of first-time buyer sales agreed across Britain in January 2026 is the highest it has recorded in the month of January since its records started 20 years ago.

Aneisha Beveridge, research director at Connells Group, said: "After a fairly sluggish end to 2025 - not helped by the autumn budget casting a shadow over buying decisions - the new year has brought a shift in tone.

"January started quietly, partly due to how the holidays fell, but momentum built as the month progressed."

She added that first-time buyers have benefited from falling mortgage rates, "particularly where higher loan-to-value products have become more competitively priced".