The London Borough of Ealing has recorded one of the biggest increases in first time buyer activity in London over the past decade, according to new analysis of government housing data.
Research by Property Buyers Today, which examined residential transactions in 349 local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales, found that Ealing experienced a 52.32 percent rise in first time buyer mortgage sales between 2014 and 2024. The borough ranked second within London and 18th across all areas included in the study.
The figures show that mortgage sales to first time buyers in Ealing rose from 1,055 in 2014 to 1,607 in 2024. The average purchase price for this group now stands at £481,555.
Across London, the City of London recorded the strongest growth, with a 75 percent increase over the ten year period. Islington, Camden and Wandsworth followed, with rises of 42.15 percent, 39.19 percent and 33.57 percent respectively. The study suggests that demand from new buyers has been most resilient in central and west London, where transport links, regeneration work and access to services remain key drivers.
In contrast, several outer London boroughs saw significant declines in first time buyer activity. Hounslow recorded the sharpest fall, with a 19.22 percent drop in mortgage sales. Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, Brent and Harrow also reported reductions of more than 15 percent. Researchers said the decreases point to the affordability pressures facing new buyers in parts of the capital where price growth and borrowing conditions have proved more challenging.
Saif Derzi, founder of Property Buyers Today, said: “For many first time buyers in London, getting onto the property ladder still feels increasingly out of reach, with house prices continuing to outpace wage growth across much of the capital. However, a few areas are holding up well. Nowhere is this more evident than in Ealing, which has emerged as one of London’s strongest performers for first time buyer growth over the past decade.”
He added that Ealing’s rising mortgage activity, despite prices above £480,000, indicated that buyers were willing to commit where long term planning and regeneration aligned with improved transport connections. He added: “If more first time buyers are to be supported into home ownership, supply must remain both desirable and realistically within financial reach.”
