In particular, there are a lot more enquires for longer-term fixed rate buy-to-let mortgages coming across my desk as clients look to lock in a rate for the next five to 10 years. We are also seeing interest in the higher end of the market — roughly a quarter of the enquiries we've had from mortgage introducers in recent months have been over £3m.
 
More clients are holding on to their existing properties for longer due to the additional stamp duty land tax on new purchases across the market. When they do move house, some clients are converting their old residence into a buy-to-let, which means remortgage deals are very popular at the moment. 

Clients are increasingly sophisticated, holding a diverse asset portfolio which inevitably brings them to look at smarter purchases and also to consider more commercial and mixed-use property assets, as well as holiday let arrangements.

They are also keen to structure solutions that are more tax efficient and sometimes involve planning finances across the family. For example, we have seen some clients who purchase an investment property with a special purpose vehicle (SPV), where different family members may be shareholders. They may also vary the rental income splits between spouses through an HMRC form 17 election.

When it comes to location, landlords are looking to the outskirts of London to commuter towns, regeneration areas and communities benefiting from new or improved transport links.

In general, we have seen greater demand for a lender that can look across the whole piece and think laterally to find the right lending solution for the client.