According to the bank’s latest survey of over 1,000 residential landlords in the UK, 88% of portfolio landlords said they had added to their portfolios in the last six months, with one in four (25%) intending to invest in an additional property within the next year, and one in five (22%) looking to purchase multiple properties.
However, landlords with between one and four rental properties are slightly less bullish, with 58% having added to their portfolio in the last six months.
A substantial number of those looking to add at least one property to their portfolio were looking to diversify by location (39%), while 37% were actively exploring different types of residential property.
In addition, 26% of portfolio landlords said they are turning their attention towards student housing and 21% were looking at the retirement housing market.
Among those who said they were diversifying their property portfolios, close to a third (33%) said they had done so to respond to tenant demand, while 28% said they were prioritising more energy efficient buildings.
In addition, of the 88% who said they were planning to add at least one property to their portfolio, over a third (36%) wanted to capitalise on good deals currently in the market, with 35% already having capital ready to invest.
Emma Cox, managing director of Real Estate at Shawbrook, said: “Whilst the property market remains challenging, it’s encouraging to see professional landlords continuing to invest and seek opportunities to diversify.
“Our research has shown that a significant number of landlords have taken proactive steps to expand their portfolios, while responding to demand to add quality, energy efficient rental stock to the market for renters.”
