Why three-bedroom semis in Cork are now pushing the €500k mark

New data shows rising mortgage drawdowns by first-time buyers, with Cork developments seeing especially strong demand despite supply pressures

DESPITE the chronic housing shortage, figures for the first nine months of the year show first-time buyers drawing down mortgages to buy almost 1,100 more properties than they did in the same period last year.

Banking and Payment Federation Ireland (BPFI) figures for the first three quarters of 2025 show that first-time buyers borrowed €6.131bn for the purchase of 19,286 properties. This represents an increase of 1,093 in volume and €795m in value on last year.