This was up from 58% in the final quarter of last year and the highest proportion since 2001.
Despite the increase in first-time buyers’ share of the market, there is little evidence that the stamp duty concession boosted their numbers in Northern Ireland.
Three quarters of first-time buyers in Northern Ireland purchased property under £125,000 – the lower threshold for the stamp duty concession to take effect.
First-time buyers in Northern Ireland borrowed on average £73,350 in the first quarter of the year, down 9% from a year earlier when they borrowed on average £80,495.
The average loan to value ratio was around 83% down from 84% in the last quarter of 20011 but up compared to an average of 81% a year previously.
Overall in the quarter 2,000 house purchase loans were taken out in Northern Ireland down from 2,400 in the last quarter of 2011 but up from 1,700 in the three months to March last year.
By value £190m was advanced, down from £230m in the previous quarter but up from £170m in the first three months of 2011.
Remortgage lending fell in the first quarter in Northern Ireland compared to both the previous quarter and this time last year. £140m was advanced for remortgage in the first quarter, down from £150m in the same period last year and £160m in the last three months of 2011.
Derek Wilson, chair of the CML in Northern Ireland, said: “Reduced property prices and lower deposit requirements mean that first-time buyers in Northern Ireland are finding it easier to get a foot on the ladder.
“Although we saw an increased proportion entering the market in the first three months of the year, the low property volumes seen in Northern Ireland make percentage changes more pronounced.
“We will be watching future trends closely since evidence from the UK suggests that a period of decreased lending tends to follow the end of stamp duty concessions.”
Wilson however added that the impact in Northern Ireland may be lessened by the lower property prices being seen in the first-time buyer sector.
He said: “Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty and the Assembly’s housing strategy consultation this spring we look forward to working cooperatively with all players in the housing market to develop housing solutions that work for all.”
