MORE FIRST TIME BUYERS ENTER THE MARKET The number of first-time buyers has been edging upwards in the last four years as a percentage of transfers . Mike Lehabe , Head of Financial Services at Lightstone , said first time buyers were steady at 32-33 % from 2014 to 2018 , and then edged up to 34 % in 2019 before jumping to 37 % in 2020 and 2021 .
However , Lehabe cautions that the rise of first-time buyers in percentage terms must be seen against the total numbers of transfers drifting downwards from 2015 until 2019 , with a sharp drop in 2020 as the hard lockdown took a toll on the market . The 2021 jump in numbers in part reflects the pent-up demand playing out as lockdown conditions eased . See graph below .
SA Real Estate Investor Magazine APRIL 2022 75