CML estimate gross mortgage lending for April at £18.4 billion

May 26, 2017

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) yesterday 25th May 2017 published news release headlined ‘Gross mortgage lending £18.4 billion in April.’

In their market commentary released the same day they headlined the following:

Transactions continue to be driven by first-time buyers, as all other parts of the market remain weaker than this time last year.

Their estimate of gross mortgage lending for April is £18.4 billion. Accounting for seasonal factors, this figure is higher than average lending over the past year.

Remortgage activity and first-time buyers continue to drive lending growth, as buy-to-let and home mover numbers remain subdued.

The number of first-time buyers over the last 12 months has overtaken the number of home movers for the first time since 1996.

CML senior economist Mohammad Jamei said: “First-time buyers and remortgage customers appear to be buoying the market, as low mortgage rates are encouraging borrowers to remortgage and attractive government schemes are helping first-time buyers. We expect this trend to continue over the coming months.

“Home movers are having less luck. Their activity has been subdued for some time now and the low number of movers means fewer properties for sale. This supply and demand imbalance will continue to underpin house price values, even as the rate of price rises slows.”

Read both the news reports in full mortgage lending in April and market commentary May 2017

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Mortgage approvals down 11% in May

The latest mortgage approval data from the Bank of England show that: –   Mortgage approvals on house purchases for May sat at 56,205 down (-14.9%) from 66,034 seen in April. Approvals are down (-10.8%) when compared to the 62,980 seen in May 2025. This annual decline was expected due to wider political and economic uncertainty;…
Read More →
Breaking News

Money and Credit – May 2026

Overview These monthly statistics on the amount of, and interest rates on, borrowing and deposits by households and businesses are used by the Bank’s policy committees to understand economic trends and developments in the UK banking system. Key points: Net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals decreased to £2.9 billion in May, from £4.4 billion…
Read More →
Breaking News

More than 5,300 land listings currently available in Britain

The latest research from LandSale, the property portal dedicated to land and rural property, has revealed that there are an estimated 5,373 land listings currently available across Great Britain, with almost a quarter, 24.9%, listed in the past 30 days. The analysis examined all land-only listings currently being marketed across Great Britain. LandSale assessed the…
Read More →
Breaking News

Build to rent completions rise 11.7%

New research from Zero Deposit reveals that the UK’s build-to-rent sector has continued its strong growth trajectory in 2026, with both delivery and investment volumes increasing year on year as demand for professionally managed rental accommodation remains robust. As the sector expands and operators manage larger portfolios of high-value rental homes, protecting rental income is becoming…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Has the doer-upper lost its shine?

First-time buyers, once the doer-upper’s natural market, have changed their priorities – and what they want now is certainty. For decades, the doer-upper held a particular place in British life: the tired house bought cheap, done up over years of weekends and sold on as the home it always promised to be. It was a…
Read More →
Crowded beaches - Clacton-on-Sea in Essex
Breaking News

1 in 7 consider moving home to manage cooling costs in hotter weather

Two in five adults (40 per cent) say they would prefer to invest in home improvements to reduce overheating from the outset, rather than rely on cooling devices Three in 10 (30 per cent) are concerned about the impact of using electricity for cooling on their energy bills, while over four in 10 (44 per…
Read More →