The findings, from a survey by Paragon Mortgages, revealed large-scale landords, or those with five or more properties, were more likely to source all their finance requirements through brokers than small-scale landlords.
In comparison, 23% of landlords in the last quarter of 2014 preferred to source buy-to-let finance directly from lenders, and 23% sourced through a mix of intermediaries and lenders, which reduced from 28% in Q3.
Small-scale landlords were almost twice as likely to source buy-to-let finance directly through a lender – 35% compared with 19% of large-scale landlords.
More than four out of 10 landlords (42%) surveyed said that sourcing directly though a lender was only suitable for the more simple buy-to-let propositions.
John Heron (pictured), managing director of Paragon Mortgages, said: “Although the market has seen strong growth this year, many landlords remain cautious, particularly in view of interest rate expectations, the weaker conditions that we have seen in the housing market and the disruption we are likely to see around the general election in 2015.
“When combined with the positive benefits that professional mortgage advice can bring, it is no surprise to see landlords turning more to the intermediary sector in less certain times.”
