New data from Santander shows that the oldest first-time buyer it supported in 2025 was 70 years old.
The number of buyers aged 60 and over rose by 14% compared to 2024.
While the youngest to get onto the property ladder in 2025 was 18 years old, overall, the proportion of first-time buyers aged 25 and under has fallen by 23% since 2024.
London, 24 November 2025 – New data from Santander reveals that older first-time buyers are taking an ever-growing share of the market, with one in five (22%) first-time buyers (FTBs) in 2025 aged over 40, up from 18% in 2024.
While the average age of FTBs has been creeping closer to 40 over the past few years, data from the lender also shows a sharp rise in those over 60 buying their first property, up 14% compared to 2024. The oldest FTB it helped in 2025 was 70 years old, compared to 67 in 2024.
Despite welcome advances in lending policy and regulation aimed at helping younger people onto the property ladder, the proportion of buyers aged 25 and under has fallen sharply in the last year, down by almost a quarter (23%) from 2024 to 2025. Despite this, the youngest FTB this year was 18, highlighting that entry into home ownership doesn’t necessarily equate to age.
David Morris, Head of Homes at Santander, said: “Our recent data shows that it is never too late to realise your homeownership dream. This year has very much been the year of the buyer, with regulatory changes giving buyers renewed confidence that owning a home is within reach. Whether buying with family gifts, relying on inherited wealth or simply saving across decades to secure a deposit, we’re pleased to have helped so many first-time buyers across the generations.
“But there is still more that can be done, and our data also highlights a growing disparity for first-time home ownership, with the gap widening between younger and older generations as the market grapples with the impact of stamp duty changes and a lack of supply.”
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Notes to Editors:
Based on Santander mortgage data, drawn November 2025.
Santander has a maximum lending age of 75 for Capital and Interest Repayment mortgages, and 70 for Interest Only mortgages.
Santander UK is a financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services. The bank serves its customers via a nationwide branch network, telephone, mobile and online banking. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the FCA and the PRA in the UK. Santander UK plc customers’ eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS in the UK.
Banco Santander (SAN SM) is a leading commercial bank, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Spain and one of the largest banks in the world by market capitalization. The group’s activities are consolidated into five global businesses: Retail & Commercial Banking, Digital Consumer Bank, Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB), Wealth Management & Insurance and Payments (PagoNxt and Cards). This operating model allows the bank to better leverage its unique combination of global scale and local leadership. Santander aims to be the best open financial services platform providing services to individuals, SMEs, corporates, financial institutions and governments. The bank’s purpose is to help people and businesses prosper in a simple, personal and fair way. Santander is building a more responsible bank and has made a number of commitments to support this objective, including raising €220 billion in green financing between 2019 and 2030. In the first quarter of 2025, Banco Santander had €1.4 trillion in total funds, 175 million customers, 7,900 branches and 207,000 employees.