Mortgage applications for Dutch home purchases reach record high in May
By Simone Jacobs
A new record has been set for the Dutch housing market, as the number of mortgage applications submitted for the purchase of a home reached a new high in May this year. More than 30.000 people applied for a mortgage to buy a home in the Netherlands, most likely to take advantage of lower interest rates.
May sees record number of Dutch mortgage applications
In May 2025, the Mortgage Data Network (HDN) which reportedly registers most of the mortgage applications in the Netherlands, received 48.928 mortgage applications. Of all these applications, 18.403 (37,7 percent) were for refinancing or increasing an existing mortgage while 30.525 (62,3 percent) were for buying a house - the highest number ever recorded for the fifth month of the year.
Compared to May 2024, this is a 27 percent increase in the number of people getting a mortgage for the purchase of a home. HDN believes the reason for this is that homebuyers were taking advantage of the lower interest rates.
In January, mortgage interest rates saw the highest increase in 18 months, with predictions that further rises were on the horizon. This means that many people are buying homes before the rates increase further.
Fewer people buying new-build housing in the Netherlands
The HDN received only 3.178 applications to take out a mortgage for a new-build home in May, making up 6,5 percent of all applications. This is 11 percent lower than in May last year.
With rising housing prices and construction goals for new housing not being met anytime soon, homebuyers have developed a preference for older homes. With the government now paying municipalities to build affordable housing, this could change in the future.
Since May last year, the average mortgage amount taken out by applicants buying a house has risen by 6,1 percent to 376.133 euros, while the average market value increased by 6,4 percent to 510.022 euros.
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Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training. Read more