The number of people buying a home for the first time continued to increase for three consecutive months.
Real estate platform Zigbang announced on the 14th that as a result of analyzing the status of first-time purchases of complex buildings at the Supreme Court Registration Information Plaza, the number of first-time buyers in January this year was counted at 38,023. This is the highest number since June last year (39,145 people). As a result, the number of first-time purchases increased for three consecutive months, following 29,338 people in November last year and 33,982 people in December.
First-time buyers can receive some benefits in terms of financial regulations, such as LTV, if they meet the requirements. It is interpreted that the combination of a relatively low loan threshold, lack of leased properties, and uncertainty in the rental market led to the increase in purchases by actual users.
By age, people in their 30s recorded the highest proportion, with 18,745 people, or about 49.3% of the total. This was followed by 9,302 people in their 40s (24.5%), 4,360 people in their 50s (11.5%), and 3,017 people in their 20s (7.9%). In particular, those in their 30s strengthened their position as purchasers, with the number of purchases increasing by 16.6% compared to the previous month (16,080 people). As this is a time when demand for housing stability, such as marriage and childbirth, is concentrated, demand for purchases for the first time in life appears to have been most active.
The number of people in their 40s also increased by 23.6% compared to the previous month (7,524 people). People in their 40s are a time when the need for children’s education and stable housing increases, and it is interpreted that the waiting demand that had been delaying purchases has moved in line with market conditions.
By region, the number of first-time buyers in the metropolitan area in January this year totaled 18,430, an increase of about 9.5% compared to the previous month (16,838). In particular, Gyeonggi-do showed a strong increase with 10,275 people, a 14.6% increase from the previous month (8,965 people). By age, people in their 30s (5,320 people) and 40s (2,271 people) accounted for more than 73% of the total, leading the overall buying trend. It appears that the inflow of actual demand was active in areas with a higher proportion of low- to mid-priced housing compared to Seoul.
Seoul recorded 553 people, a 5.4% increase from the previous month (6,217 people) and the highest figure since June 2025 (7,192 people). Of these, 3,520 were in their 30s and 1,490 were in their 40s. In Incheon, there were 1,602 people, a slight decrease from the previous month (1,656 people), but a relatively stable buying trend was maintained, centered on those in their 30s (751 people) and 40s (345 people).
Even in rural areas, there was a clear increase in first-time buyers. The number of first-time local buyers in January was 19,593, an increase of approximately 14.3% compared to the previous month (17,144 people). The number of first-time local transactions decreased to 12,614 in October last year, but continued to increase for three consecutive months, reaching 13,396 in November, 17,144 in December, and 19,593 in January.
Busan had 3,937 people, a 33.2% increase from the previous month (2,956). The actual demand age group stood out, with 1,696 people in their 30s and 1,218 people in their 40s. This was followed by Gyeongsangnam-do (2,898 people), Chungcheongbuk-do (2,792 people), Gyeongsangbuk-do (2,214 people), and Daegu Metropolitan City (1,737 people) with the highest number of first-time buyers.
The recent increase in first-time buyers is interpreted as a result of consumers’ decisions being reflected in the changing lending environment and market conditions. An official from Zigbang said, “Although the loan regulation trend is maintained, for the first time in life, it appears that actual demand has entered the market with a structure in which loan capacity is relatively secured based on the LTV standard. In addition, the flow of housing prices in the metropolitan area, the burden of supply and demand due to a decrease in the number of occupancies by region, and instability in the jeonse market are combined to influence the demand that had been waiting or postponing purchases.”
Reporter Kim Ji-young kjyou@mt.co.kr
date: 2026-02-14 14:20:00