Mortgage broker Finance Solutions had a record €1.26 billion worth of home loans approved in 2025, the company said on Tuesday.
Finance Solutions, part of global financial services business Howden Group, aims to loan €2 billion in mortgages between 2025 and 2027.
The company reported on Tuesday that it secured approvals for €1.26 billion in home loans last year, 56 per cent more than in 2024 and a record for the business.
Finance Solutions says it is the biggest mortgage broker in the Republic, with 13 per cent of the market.
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Brokers now account for close to half the total home loan market, the company noted.
Its borrowers drew down €845 million in mortgages last year.
Finance Solutions said it aided 4,128 people in buying their homes in 2025.
This demonstrated that property ownership was still possible, despite a challenging market, the firm maintained.
The average loan last year was €358,170, according to the company’s figures.
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Those numbers also showed that three-quarters of borrowers were first-time buyers, while one in three approvals were for solo applicants.
First-time buyers borrowed an average of 82 per cent of their properties’ value.
This indicated that people were planning early and getting their finances in shape before seeking home loans, said Finance Solutions.
Finance Solutions managing director Conor McGowan noted that clients were coming to the company earlier than ever in the process.
“Not just when they are ready to apply, but when they are planning and saving,” he added.
The business is well on the way to meeting the €2 billion lending target it set last year for 2027, said McGowan.
He argued that many people assumed the bank was their only option when it came to borrowing to buy a house.
However, brokers have access to the entire market, not just a single lender, so they can aid clients in understanding what is achievable, said McGowan.
He recommended that prospective buyers approach brokers when they are planning to buy.
The company advises that clients contact brokers early and should not wait until they have found the property they want to buy.
Finance Solutions has been growing its business since it was established in 2011.
Howden Group is a global financial services business with more than 20,000 workers.
It focuses on general insurance broking, and has mortgage operations in the Republic, United Kingdom, Denmark, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong.
