Part 3: Growth isn’t disappearing, it’s being redefined

Adrian Moloney, Group Lending Distribution Director, Rely

Reports suggesting more landlords plan to sell than buy property often prompt questions about the future of buy to let. While those figures provide important market context, they do not necessarily tell the whole story.

One of the most interesting findings from Rely’s Next Gen Landlords research is that future landlords may define success differently from previous generations.

Historically, growth was often measured by portfolio size. Acquiring the next property and building a larger portfolio were key ambitions for many investors. The next generation appears set to take a broader view.

The research suggests future landlords are likely to start with smaller portfolios and build gradually over time. That does not mean ambition is disappearing. Instead, success may be linked just as closely to portfolio performance, sustainable returns and achieving personal objectives as it is to acquisition activity.

The research identifies a broad range of future landlord groups. Some are motivated by entrepreneurship and business growth. Others are focused on creating financial security, preserving family assets or providing high-quality homes. Those varied motivations naturally lead to different definitions of success.

This change can also be seen in the growing emphasis many landlords place on professionalism. Ownership structures, long-term planning and portfolio management have become more important, while specialist advice plays a valuable role in helping landlords navigate a more complex environment.

Importantly, commercial success and tenant outcomes are not viewed as competing priorities. Several of the future landlord groups identified in the research place significant value on tenant experience, property standards and the quality of homes they provide. Financial performance remains important, but it sits alongside wider considerations about responsibility and long-term value.

Growth remains part of the buy to let story, but future landlords may be less concerned with the number of properties they own and more focused on the role those assets play in achieving wider financial and personal goals. That broader definition of success could have a lasting influence on the direction of the sector.

Key takeaways for brokers on the growth of the private rented sector

• Future landlords may measure success through portfolio performance and long-term outcomes rather than acquisitions alone.

• Different landlord groups have different motivations, from business growth and wealth creation to family legacy and tenant experience.

• The next generation appears less focused on portfolio size and more focused on what property ownership helps them achieve.

Download the full Next Gen Landlords playbook.