4 top trends for increased renting profitability in late 2017

“With such a large portion of the population renting, significant trends have emerged for both renters and leasers,” says Mr Ferguson.

He has identified four key trends around property management and leasing that can improve the profitability of an investor’s portfolio throughout the end of the year:

Houses do better than apartments

Rentvesting

‘Hot’ tenants

Longevity

1. Houses do better than apartments

At the moment, Mr Ferguson notes there is an oversupply of apartments, with buildings being turned into large blocks of apartments, which then makes housing provide more incentives due to their scarcity.

“Houses and semis give you the added privacy that more and more people are opting for [these] over apartments. You usually have more flexibility with a house, often allowing pets and the freedom to make it your own,” he says.

“For leasers, the desirability of a house often means you can charge more, and take your pick of potential tenants.”

2. Rentvesting

Mr Ferguson says that homeownership does not have to be the end goal for a landlord, as he points out that more homeowners are becoming interested in renting while they maintain their investments, as it can assist in saving money.

“The rising property prices are attractive to sellers who would like to invest their money elsewhere and live a more flexible lifestyle by renting,” he says.

3. ‘Hot’ tenants

By teaming up with a real estate agent, Mr Ferguson says investors can request for any hot tenants, or those who have told the agents they are interested in renting and what kind of property they are looking for.

These tenants have been approved by the agents, which would allow for a quick move-in process, and remove advertising costs looking for a new tenant.

4. Longevity

Rather than staying in the short-term, Mr Ferguson says a lot of tenants are looking for long-term rentals for “a more permanent lifestyle”.

“This is mutually beneficial for landowners and tenants, guaranteeing monthly rent and providing protection for the renters,” he said.

“For leasers, this means you can calculate your ROI over the period of the lease, which will often have a stable, higher return.”