First-time home buyers eager to purchase, but opportunities lagging

First-time Dutch homebuyers remain eager to enter the housing market, but opportunities to purchase homes remain limited, according to new data from real estate website Funda. Housing supply on Funda rose 14 percent in the last quarter compared to the same period in 2024, but the average number of interested buyers per property fell only slightly, from 12 to 11, highlighting the persistent competition for available homes.

Only 8 percent of starters believe buying a home is realistic and achievable, even though 77 percent say they intend to purchase a property within the next year. By comparison, 15 percent of all house seekers express confidence in successfully completing a purchase.

The housing market remains expensive. According to the Dutch real estate association NVM, the average price for an existing home in the last three months of 2025 exceeded 500,000 euros. The association said that while prices remain high, the pace of increase has slowed, attributing it to tight supply and continued strong demand.

Joost Dop, director of Funda, said the low confidence among starters does not match their growing presence in the market. “Buying confidence remains low at 8 percent and stands in stark contrast to the intention to buy,” Dop said, noting that concerns about affordability, limited housing supply, and market developments continue to hold buyers back.

Homeowners are far more positive. About 79 percent of current property owners expect to sell their homes successfully, a figure largely unchanged from a year ago. Overall, buyer confidence increased three percentage points over the past year.

First-time buyers are reportedly actively pursuing more opportunities, engaging more with mortgage advisors, submitting more bids, and registering for new-build projects. By contrast, movers tend to rely more on real estate agents.