The Irish mortgage market continued to grow strongly in the third quarter of this year but the rate of growth appears to be moderating, according to the latest Irish Banking Federation/ Pricewaterhouse-Coopers Mortgage Market Profile.
The report found that new mortgage lending amounted to €10,962 million in three months between July and September.
This was an 8.2 per cent increase over the previous quarter and a full 16.9 per cent more than in the same quarter last year.
But while confirming continuous growth, the figures show that the year on year growth is moderating - down from 20.6 per cent during the previous quarter to 16.9 per cent.
The report indicates the average loan size in the first time buyer segment stands at €231,514 - representing just a 1.8 per cent increase over the previous quarter.
The mover buyers continued to constitute the single largest segment of market, representing almost 30 per cent of the overall mortgage lending market.
IBF chief executive Pat Farrell said: "While the mortgage market continues to display solid growth, the rate of growth continues to moderate."