Press release

Q1 2018 mortgage and housing market momentum continues at a gentle pace

The European Mortgage Federation (EMF) is delighted to announce the publication of its Quarterly Review of European Mortgage Markets for the first quarter (Q1) of 2018.

Produced in cooperation with the Federation’s national experts, the Quarterly Review provides the latest short-term developments in mortgage and housing markets across the EU.
The publication highlights expert analytical commentary together with data tables and charts on the following key indicators:

• Mortgage interest rates;
• Total outstanding residential mortgage lending;
• Gross and net residential mortgage lending;
• Nominal house price indices; and
• Regulation & Government intervention.

Key highlights on market developments:

The first quarter of 2018 continues the trend of growth in the EU’s overall mortgage and housing markets, aided by mortgage interest rates remaining close to their all-time floors. Annual house price inflation remains positive across the EU with all countries reporting increasing prices, typically greater than 5% as consumer confidence remains strong, supported by positive economic fundamentals.

Luca Bertalot, EMF-ECBC Secretary General, commented:

“This Quarterly Review shows that robust economic fundamentals, low interest rates and an increase in consumer confidence are the pillars of the overall growth in new mortgage lending across the EU. At the same time, several countries have introduced or are discussing macroprudential interventions in order to provide the counterbalance to the accelerating lending dynamics, mainly acting through new recommendations on Loan to Value (LTV) and Debt to Income (DTI) to ensure that mortgage and housing markets’ growth rates remain at sustainable levels in the longer term.”

The full Quarterly Review – Q1 2018 and the archive of previous editions (back to Q3 1998) are available on the EMF website here.