WHETHER you are selling your home or a property you are letting, bringing your property to the attention of investor landlords is a novel way to tap into a valuable hidden market.

According to property specialist, Leaders, which has a branch in Winchester Street, Basingstoke, many sellers, and even estate agents, overlook the fact that there are a large number of potential buy-to-let investors waiting for the right investment opportunity to come along but who are not necessarily actively looking on Rightmove or other portals.

As Leaders’ Hampshire director, Matt Derry, explains: “With demand for rental property so high, many people are interested in investing in a buy-to-let property. Some are looking for their first buy-to-let investment, others are already landlords, looking for another property to add to their portfolio.

“Sellers who can bring their property to the attention of these investors as a possible buy-to-let opportunity can access a whole new market.

“The first step is to find out from a local agent like Leaders - experienced in both lettings and sales - what the exact rental value of your property is in the current market and the potential yield based on its sales value.

“If it has a yield of four per cent or more and is in an area where rental demand is strong, it is likely to appeal to an investor buyer.”

As an agent with a strong focus on letting, Leaders has an extensive database of investor landlords who have expressed an interest in receiving details of properties with good rental potential. Many of these investors are not actively looking on property portals, agent’s websites or in the local press, but if a property with the right investment potential is brought to their attention, they are usually keen to explore the opportunity.

“As part of our sales service, we can send our registered investors the details of properties that match their investment criteria, opening up a whole new market for our sellers,” said Matt.

With the sales market having picked up significantly in recent years, there are a number of people who became ‘accidental’ landlords a few years ago who are now considering selling up, but may be worried that selling a tenanted property will be problematic.

However, Leaders advise that having a tenant in situ can be a distinct advantage if you are targeting your property to investor buyers.

“Buying a tenanted property means the investor will receive rent from the day of completion and will not have the hassle and expense of having to find a tenant themselves,” explained Matt.

“This is also an ideal solution for the seller as they won’t have to serve notice on their tenant or suffer any loss of rent while their sale is proceeding.

“If you are an accidental landlord, you may be pleasantly surprised to discover how much your property has increased in value over the last few years and how many investors are interested in buying a property just like yours.”