But the rising number of new and amateur landlords are unlikely to do as well as surviving difficult economic climates is often a matter of attitude, says the survey by The Mortgage Works, a specialist lending subsidiary of the Nationwide Building Society.
The 3,179 mortgage brokers who took part in the survey said they remain upbeat about the prospects for professional buy-to-let investors. The current market has created opportunities to snap up some bargain purchases.
While 45% thought they would maintain their portfolio as it is this year, 49% said they expected professional investors to acquire new properties this year. This is up from 44% six months ago; suggesting intermediaries are becoming more optimistic about landlords' ability to ride out the credit crunch.
The outlook in terms of both rental yields and tenant demand was also strong, with 40% suggesting yields would rise this year, and an overwhelming 94% of intermediaries expecting tenant demand to either remain static or rise in some cases.
In contrast, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of brokers who feel amateur landlords will not acquire new properties, with 82% saying they do not expect these investors to make purchases, up from 62% six months ago.
'Increasingly we are seeing it is the attitude of professional investors, rather than the number of properties they hold, which determines their success and longevity in this market, and these findings suggest brokers too differentiate greatly between professional and amateur investors,' said Andy McQueen, managing director of The Mortgage Works.
'True professional landlords understand the property market, the needs of their target customers and the tax and financial implications of running a buy to let business. They are also more focused on building high yielding businesses, as opposed to seeking short-term capital appreciation, and so are excellently placed to not only withstand, but prosper during the current market,' he added.
'Clearly the current climate is not ideal for first-time landlords, given the limited number of deals available to them, but experienced investors may find excellent opportunities in a cooling housing market to purchase additional property.'
