Build to Rent investment has more than doubled in a decade, rising from £2.3bn in 2016 to £5.5bn in 2025, Propoly data reveals.
The data found that £3.1bn has already invested during the first half of 2026, up 88.4% year-on-year.
Build to Rent is changing what landlords expect from letting agents, according to Propoly, with institutional investors demanding far higher standards of compliance, reporting and operational transparency than traditional buy-to-let landlords.
Propoly says one of the biggest mistakes agencies can make is assuming Build to Rent is simply buy-to-let on a larger scale. It suggests operational demands are fundamentally different, requiring agencies to deliver institutional-grade processes while maintaining an excellent customer experience.
It also highlights that technology is becoming essential rather than optional, enabling agents to automate compliance, tenancy progression and resident communications so they can manage larger portfolios without proportionally increasing headcount.
Propoly group chief executive Sim Sekhon says: “One of the biggest misconceptions in the industry is that Build to Rent is simply traditional buy-to-let with more properties. It isn’t. It’s an entirely different operating model, with institutional landlords expecting consistency, transparency and operational excellence at every stage of the resident journey.”
“As investment continues to flow into the sector, Build to Rent is becoming far too significant for letting agents to ignore. The opportunity is enormous, but so too is the shift in expectations.”
“Success is no longer measured purely by how quickly an agency can let a property. Institutional clients increasingly want data, compliance, operational reporting and a resident experience that reflects their brand.”
“The good news is that agencies don’t need to completely reinvent their businesses to compete. The right technology allows them to automate repetitive administration, simplify compliance and connect every stage of the tenancy journey into one efficient workflow.“
