Around this time last year, I completed a search on relevant BTL news and quickly noticed a pattern which kept diverting me to the same website – a provider of financial advice for investors.

I remember being somewhat taken aback at the sheer volume of articles produced around a similar topic which included “forget buy-to-let” (as an investment vehicle in 2019) in the headlines or words to that effect.

When embarking upon a repeat search just now, similar phrasing and headlines were still visible but the volume of such articles on the first three pages of the Google search engine was noticeably fewer.

So, what can we take from that?

I am in no way an SEO expert but maybe it’s simply a case that the BTL sector has been far more active (and positive) over the course of the past few weeks/months compared to the same period last year. A trend which has driven the more negative stories further down the rankings. It could also be down to the fact that the continued robust nature of buy-to-let has led to some naysayers climbing down from the BTL bashing bandwagon.

It’s certainly not unreasonable to prompt investors and landlords to be constantly questioning the value attached to their BTL portfolios - after all, there are now even more layers of complexity attached to the modern BTL marketplace. However, there is certainly no reason to keep banging the drum that it’s a market in turmoil. There is far more professionalism on show throughout the sector, with the vast majority of landlords becoming even more business-like in their approach, and opportunities for growth remain evident for those undertaking higher levels of research and due diligence; and I include the intermediary market within this.

According to data from Precise Mortgages, some 62% of landlords who are planning to remortgage over the next year plan to do so through a broker or intermediary. Of those landlords planning to remortgage, 63% are doing so to avoid being moved on to standard variable rates. However, 22% said they were doing so to get a better rate, while 24% cited releasing equity as a motive. The study also found that landlords with more than four properties were the most likely to change mortgage deals over the next year – with 35 per cent preparing to remortgage compared with 19% of those with one to three properties.

Paragon has also predicted that the increase in portfolio and complex buy-to-let business seen over the last couple of years will continue in 2020. Research from the lender highlighted that large-scale landlords were three times more likely to consider buying than smaller-scale landlords.

2020 will remain a challenging year for many business sectors as the UK still looks to establish some political and economic stability, a factor which highlights the continued importance of the advice process. As business owners, homeowners, landlords and property investors, we need to ensure that we are receiving the highest levels of professional advice to help us navigate any potentially tricky waters - advice which will also better position us to spot any opportunities to bolster and grow our offerings.

I continue to have the utmost confidence in the buy-to-let market. Year-after-year it has shown sustained strength and resilience. It has overcome many challenges whilst still supplying a demand that is only continuing to grow. So, here’s to a prosperous and opportunity-laden 2020 which will hopefully continue to relegate the negative headlines and promote the positive messages attached to such an important component within the housing and mortgage market.