It’s been said many, many times over many, many years but the value of financial advice will only continue to rise. Trust, perception and professionalism remain key elements within this process and, with this in mind, it was interesting to see YouGov’s analysis of the UK’s most recommended brands over the course of the pandemic year rank MoneySavingExpert.com as number one.

The consumer finance advice website was said to have had a string of strong endorsements from its customers and reaching the top spot was a testament to the depth of loyalty felt by its members. It topped brands such as John Lewis, Monzo, Brewdog and Starling Bank to achieve this coveted accolade.

The remarkable growth of the MoneySavingExpert brand – not to mention the popularity of The Martin Lewis Money Show, which seems to dominate its designated timeslot – highlights how we, as a nation, are becoming far more financially savvy. And, importantly, much more willing and eager to listen and act on trusted financial tips, hints and advice. 

The past year has taught us that scenarios and attitudes to money can change quickly. From a landlord perspective, it’s important for advisers to understand the motivation behind any investments, portfolio diversification and what might attract a new generation of landlords. In recent times, much of the activity across the BTL sector has been driven by portfolio landlords. Whilst many vastly experienced investors have not always utilised the advice process to source funding in the past, additional complexity throughout the markets have resulted in greater numbers turning to the intermediary market for additional support and insight.  

This was partly demonstrated in new research from Hodge which outlined that nearly three-quarters (73%) of portfolio buy-to-let landlords prefer to access finance through a broker rather than going direct to a lender. 71% of larger investors (with portfolios of between £2m – £50m) specified that a broker had saved them money by getting them a good deal. 40% of buy-to-let landlords said they use a broker as they found researching a suitable mortgage product themselves a frustrating task, with annoyances including interest rates (35%), lack of clarity over charges (35%), and loan underwriting (31%). 

The BTL market remains buoyant and many landlords are still looking to add to their portfolios. And with many highly competitive deals and outstanding service propositions emerging from the more specialist lending markets, it’s hardly surprising that a growing number of landlords are benefiting from specialist advice. It’s fair to say that the role of landlords and advisers is ever-changing, as is the relationship between them. Building strong relationships takes time and energy but successfully investing this time and energy into your landlord clients now will certainly pay dividends in the future as the BTL market continues to go from strength to strength.