Buy-to-let hunters turn to the ‘movies’ for inspiration

Interest in the buy-to-let market is as strong as ever amongst would-be borrowers and IFAs according to findings from Standard Life Bank.

Since the launch in February 2006 of its informative online movies series, Freestyle+, Standard Life Bank has analysed what borrowers are looking for in a mortgage (based on movies viewed) and discovered a healthy appetite for information about buy-to-let mortgages.

Freestyle+ is a set of 25 award winning movies launched to provide people looking for a mortgage with unbiased educational information to help them make better informed choices. They are accessible at freestylemortgages.com and each month attract an average of over 2,000 visitors.

Buy-to-Let Mortgages has attracted the vast majority of Freestyle+ visitors with almost a quarter (24 per cent) of the total viewings. Cash Reserve and Offsetting have also proved to be popular choices, together attracting 15 per cent of site visitors.

Research that Standard Life Bank has conducted amongst IFAs from throughout the UK confirms that IFAs are as positive about the buy-to-let market as consumers, with nearly one in two (48%) of IFAs saying the sector will continue to grow and 10% believing it will grow faster than the current pace.

The research also supports offset as an increasingly popular mortgage feature2, with nearly a third (27%) of IFAs questioned saying that offsetting was the most popular flexible mortgage feature being requested by customers.

Jackie Moran, Head of Sales at Standard Life Bank, said: “The Freestyle+ viewing results are very telling as they clearly show us today’s savvy mortgage hunter is hungry for information beyond the initial headline rate. Buy-to-let, offsetting and cash reserve and are all ways of using your mortgage as a financial tool.

“It’s good news for advisers because it supports the guidance process and will help build client relationships if advisers are wise enough to use this tool to demonstrate to their clients how they can use their mortgage as part of their regular financial planning.”

Freestyle+ was awarded an ‘Webby Official Honoree’ two years running at the 10th and 11th Annual Webby Awards and includes movie topics ranging from “How much can I borrow?” to more in depth subjects such as “Offsetting vs Overpaying”. The online movie series was created by London-based digital agency Avenue A? Razorfish.