Property Brief – April 2025

The latest BetterBond Property Brief - April 2025 is out!

The March 2025 Property Brief data highlighted that the residential property market gained renewed traction in the first quarter of 2025, with home loan application activity picking up pace. The BetterBond home loan index rose by 7.7% quarter-on-quarter and 9.3% year-on-year, signalling growing confidence despite the unchanged interest rate in March.

While overall home price growth remains subdued at just 0.5% year-on-year, first-time buyers have seen stronger gains of 3.1% – closely tracking inflation. Encouragingly, deposit requirements have continued to ease for all buyers, declining 4.9% year-on-year. Although first-time buyers saw a slight quarterly uptick in deposits, the annual trend is still in their favour.

Regionally, Johannesburg’s South-Eastern suburbs and the Western Cape remain hotspots for first-time buyers. Over the past 12 months, loans granted to this group grew by 33%, with activity also rising in Mpumalanga, Free State, the Northern Cape and North-West. Gauteng continues to lead in volume, accounting for 48% of all home loans granted.

The full list of data points included in this Property Brief is as follows:

In the Economist’s Notes, Dr Roelof Botha reflects on a resilient economy facing headwinds from global trade tensions and political uncertainty. However, record-high gold and forex reserves and near-zero producer price inflation point to a stable foundation. With hopes for a rate cut in May, momentum in property and construction may continue to build.

Missed last month’s insights? Read the March 2025 BetterBond Property Brief here.