First Time Buyer Property Portal Hits 1 Million Enquiries

Leading first time buyer property portal Share to Buy has generated its one millionth property enquiry since the portal went independent following the end of the Mayor of London’s First Steps scheme three years ago. Following a major rebrand and rebuild of the website in 2018, the millionth enquiry since then represents a major milestone for the platform, demonstrating the significant growth of the affordable home ownership sector since 2018.

With over one million datapoints analysed, the milestone has revealed important new information about the affordable housing landscape over the past few years, and first time buyers in the UK today.

On average, the typical user enquiring on Share to Buy is a single buyer, between the age of 31 and 35. The average first time buyer is typically renting privately, with a household income of £30,001 to £35,000, and a deposit of £10,001 to £15,000. Users on Share to Buy are most commonly looking for a two bedroom apartment, priced between £300,001 to £350,000.

Marking a noticeable increase of affordable housing delivery outside of the capital, the Home Counties have seen a clear growth in enquiries since the updated platform emerged in 2018 – with enquiries from users living in London’s satellite towns now accounting for 25% of all enquiries – more than doubling from 11% in 2018. London remains the largest market for Share to Buy users with just over 50% of property enquiries coming from the capital, however, the last three years have seen significant expansion in all other areas of the country as the need for affordable home ownership solutions has grown.

Nick Lieb, Head of Operations for Share to Buy comments: “I am delighted that Share to Buy have generated our millionth property enquiry for the sector since going independent in 2018. Looking at the data from the past three years, it is clear that the affordable home ownership sector has grown tremendously with the number of properties listed on Share to Buy increasing by a massive 108% in a year on year comparison between 2018 and 2021. Despite a difficult 18 months for the market, we are pleased that hopeful first time buyers are undeterred and continue to visit our website to learn more about their home-buying options, and enquire about Shared Ownership and Help to Buy properties across the country.”

Leading Shared Ownership property portal Share to Buy is a one stop shop for first time buyers, offering the nation’s largest listing of Shared Ownership and Help to Buy homes. At the forefront of integrating digital tools in the housing industry, in addition to its extensive property listings, Share to Buy also offers a range of digital jargon busting videos and educational tools such as affordability and mortgage calculators – helping users understand what they can achieve with Shared Ownership.