Dutch mortgage applications fall 17% in January as buyer demand drops

The number of mortgage applications in the Netherlands fell sharply in January compared with the same month last year, driven mainly by a decline in home purchase requests, according to the Hypotheken Data Netwerk (HDN). The organization described January as “a quiet start to 2026.”

A total of 36,412 applications were submitted through HDN last month, nearly 17 percent fewer than in January 2025, which had been a peak month fueled by historically low mortgage rates. Applications in December 2025 remained high at 43,871.

Of January’s applications, 20,511 were from homebuyers, reducing their share to 56 percent of all requests. In recent months, buyer applications have stayed around 63 percent. Applications for newly built homes fell sharply to 2,488, the lowest level since 2023.

HDN said tight housing supply continues to make it difficult for many people to secure a new home, while housing prices have risen sharply over the past several years.

The average market value of homes for sale in January was 511,750 euros, slightly higher than a year ago but below the levels of previous months.

HDN cautioned against reading too much into the decline. “This dip does not directly indicate structurally falling house prices. Temporary fluctuations in housing supply can affect the average market value,” HDN said.