Mortgage interest rates in Europe soared in 2022 and remained elevated in the following two years. In many countries, this resulted in mortgage interest rates across the region more than doubling. In the first quarter of 2025, the average mortgage interest rate in the UK stood at **** percent. Spain had the lowest rate, at **** percent, while Poland had the highest, at *** percent. Why did mortgage interest rates increase? Mortgage rates have risen as a result of the European Central Bank (ECB) interest rate increase. The ECB increased its interest rates to tackle inflation. As inflation calms, the ECB is expected to cut rates, which allows mortgage lenders to reduce mortgage interest rates. What is the impact of interest rates on home buying? Lower interest rates make taking out a housing loan more affordable, and thus, encourage home buying. That can be seen in many countries across Europe: In France, the number of residential properties sold rose in the years leading up to 2021, and fell as interest rates increased. The number of houses sold in the UK followed a similar trend.

Mortgage rates surged at an unprecedented pace in 2022, with the average 10-year fixed rate doubling between March and December of that year. In response to mounting inflation, the Bank of England implemented a series of rate hikes, pushing borrowing costs steadily higher. By October 2025, the average 10-year fixed mortgage rate stood at **** percent. As financing becomes more expensive, housing demand has cooled, weighing on market sentiment and slowing house price growth. How have the mortgage hikes affected the market? After surging in 2021, the number of residential properties sold fell significantly in 2023, dipping to just above *** million transactions. This contraction in activity also dampened mortgage lending. Between the first quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, the value of new mortgage loans declined year-on-year for five consecutive quarters. Even as rates eased modestly in 2024 and housing activity picked up slightly, volumes remained well below the highs recorded in 2021. How are higher mortgages impacting homebuyers? For homeowners, the impact is being felt most acutely as fixed-rate deals expire. Mortgage terms in the UK typically range from two to ten years, and many borrowers who locked in historically low rates are now facing significantly higher repayments when refinancing. By the end of 2026, an estimated five million homeowners will see their mortgage deals expire. Roughly two million of these loans are projected to experience a monthly payment increase of up to *** British pounds by 2026, putting additional pressure on household budgets and constraining affordability across the market.

New analysis of mortgage data in seven large urban counties in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky finds that growth in home purchase originations was much stronger for Black borrowers than non-Black borrowers between 2018 and 2021. However, the Black homeownership rate remained far below the non-Black rate.

The benchmark interest rate in Japan was last recorded at 0.50 percent. This dataset provides - Japan Interest Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The average price per square foot of floor space in new single-family housing in the United States decreased after the great financial crisis, followed by several years of stagnation. Since 2012, the price has continuously risen, hitting ****** U.S. dollars per square foot in 2024. In 2024, the average sales price of a new home exceeded ******* U.S. dollars. Development of house sales in the U.S. One of the reasons for rising property prices is the gradual growth of house sales between 2011 and 2020. This period was marked by the gradual recovery following the subprime mortgage crisis and a growing housing sentiment. Another significant factor for the housing demand was the growing number of new household formations each year. Despite this trend, housing transactions plummeted in 2021, amid soaring prices and borrowing costs. In 2021, the average construction cost for single-family housing rose by nearly ** percent year-on-year, and in 2022, the increase was even higher, at close to ** percent. Financing a house purchase Mortgage interest rates in the U.S. rose dramatically in 2022 and remained elevated until 2024. In 2020, a homebuyer could lock in a 30-year fixed interest rate of under ***** percent, whereas in 2024, the average rate for the same mortgage type was more than twice higher. That has led to a decline in homebuyer sentiment, and an increasing share of the population pessimistic about buying a home in the current market.

The Real Estate Services industry has faced mixed conditions over recent years. Despite the recent improvement in housing supply and the piling up of inventory, prices remain elevated relative to pre-pandemic levels, offsetting revenue declines for real estate agents. A demand-supply imbalance led to historically high housing prices in 2021-22, though tighter loan-to-value ratio (LVR) regulations and heightened interest rates curbed real estate activity and weakened prices over the two years through 2023-24. The bright-line test extension in 2021 cooled speculative investment, diminishing property investors' interest. Residential property transactions plunged in 2022-23 as cost-of-living pressures and soaring borrowing expenses weighed on mortgage affordability. As inflation moderates and the official cash rate has come down since August 2024, sales volumes and demand will pick up. That's why revenue is forecast to climb 2.8% in 2024-25. However, a plunge in property transactions is why revenue is expected to have dipped at an annualised 0.4% over the five years through 2024-25 to $6.2 billion. The commercial market has faced shifting tenant preferences, particularly around remote work arrangements, contributing to elevated office vacancy rates. Nonetheless, booming demand for industrial space and interest in green buildings has yielded new opportunities. Concurrently, the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence has boosted operational efficiency for many real estate agencies, underpinning growth in their profit margins and alleviating some wage pressures. The Coalition government’s reinstatement of 80% interest deductibility for residential investment properties in April 2024, with a plan to reach 100% by April 2025, alongside the rollback of the bright-line test from 10 to 2 years, will spur investor activity and escalate property prices. These policy changes will entice property investors, expanding this market's revenue share over the coming years and benefiting real estate agencies. Consecutive cuts to the official cash rate to counter subdued economic activity will strengthen mortgage affordability and promote a resurgence in the residential property market. However, an expanding housing supply – aided by funding for social housing units and relaxed planning restrictions – will temper price escalation and slow agencies' commission growth over the coming years. Rising competition among real estate agencies and the continued adoption of digital tools, from big data analytics to advanced customer management solutions, will intensify market dynamics, creating opportunities and challenges for prospective and existing agents. Overall, revenue is forecast to climb at an annualised 2.2% over the five years through 2029-30 to $6.9 billion.

The benchmark interest rate in South Africa was last recorded at 6.75 percent. This dataset provides - South Africa Interest Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The benchmark interest rate in Australia was last recorded at 3.60 percent. This dataset provides - Australia Interest Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.