The findings from BM Solutions' research are:
• The majority of investors consider buy-to-let as a long-term project.
• The incidence of portfolio building is increasing.
• Some 76% of respondents intend to buy more properties.
• On the issue of finding tenants, 93% of respondents are reasonably confident that they will have tenants in their property for most of the next 12 months.
• As far as affordability is concerned, 82% of investors are quite confident or very confident that interest rates will stay low and keep their payments affordable.
• Of all the sources of help and advice when first buying a property to let, a broker is by far the most significant, with 58% of investors turning to them for assistance.
• Brokers are becoming more important in this regard since the number of investors who use them is up 17% from 41% in the 2002 survey.
Steve Sandiford, head of products, BM Solutions said: "Against a background of some commentators talking down the buy-to-let market, it is illuminating to hear the opinions of the people who really matter - those who are actually investing. The majority of respondents in our survey - 58% - have more than one property, which speaks for itself in terms of their confidence.
"The findings of this research will also be very encouraging for intermediaries. Respondents clearly identify their importance in the buy-to-let process and there is definitely scope for brokers to capitalise on the need for focussed advice which undoubtedly exists."
