The number of first-time buyers in Clare dropped by two thirds in the year to October.
The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show that only 18 properties in the county were bought by first-time buyers.
Overall, the number of property transactions in Clare this October is down nearly 63% on the same time last year.
81 sales took place in the banner this October, compared to 155 the same time last year.
Coinciding with the drop in the volume of sales, is a rise in the average cost of a home in the county.
The average cost of a house this year is over €211,000, compared to a figure of €184,000 last October.
October 2021 saw 36 buyers get their leg on the property market for the first time, while 90 former owner-occupiers moved up the ladder.
This compares to 18 first-time buyers this October and 41 former owner-occupiers – an decrease of 67% and 75% respectively.
The 81 sales which went through this year totalled €17m.
