First-time buyer mortgages hit record high in first half of the year — BPFI

21,232 mortgages were drawn down in Ireland in first six months of 2026, with a total value of €6.78bn — up 5.1% in volume and 9.6% in value year-on-year

Chief executive of the BPFI Brian Hayes. 

The value of first-time mortgage drawdowns rose by 10.5% during the first six months of the year to €4.1bn — the highest level for this time of the year on record — as the average mortgage size for this cohort hit €326,000.

According to the Banking and Payments Federation, Ireland (BPFI), 21,232 mortgages were drawn down between January and June this year with a total value of €6.78bn — up 5.1% in volume and 9.6% in value year-on-year. This means the average mortgage size during the first half of the year stood at just under €320,000 — a 4.2% increase compared to the same period in 2025.