BTL brokers ‘enter H2 in robust mood’ as tenant demand holds – Paragon

The 53 per cent of intermediaries with expectations of growth surveyed from April to June was up on the 50 per cent saying the same in January to March.

The proportion of brokers anticipating a decline in BTL business stayed constant at 10 per cent quarter-on-quarter. 

Brokers further reported good levels of ongoing demand for BTL lending during the quarter itself, with 42 per cent citing “strong” and eight per cent reporting “very strong” demand.

Some 10 per cent of brokers said BTL demand was “weak” over the three months, compared to 30 per cent in Q2 last year.

Confidence about the forward-looking business outlook ran at 91 per cent for all brokers and 97 per cent for those with high levels of BTL activity.

Paragon Mortgages director of sales Moray Hulme (pictured), said strong business levels over the past nine months suggested that demand was driven by “fundamental shifts in where and how people want to live,” rather than by the stamp duty holiday fillip. 

“Brokers enter H2 2021 in a confident, robust mood. We expect business levels to moderate as the tax holiday ends, but landlords are seeing plenty of opportunities to expand their portfolios to meet excellent levels of tenant demand and changes in the type of property people now want to rent,” he said.

“There has been growth in tenant demand for family homes, for example, and landlords are acting accordingly,” Hulme added.