In the UK real estate market, a notable shift is taking place, with more attention falling on single-family rental (SFR).

According to a report by Savills, more than £1 billion (€1.2 billion) was invested in the subsector during the first nine months of 2023, which was three times the amount allocated to SFR in 2022. In response, house builders are tailoring their business models to cater more to this segment of residential, with a pipeline of nearly 2,000 homes being snapped up by institutional and other large-scale investors.

Alan Penfold, managing director at Present Made, a residential manager and owner, has closely observed the changes taking place in the residential space. “Multifamily build-to-rent has been the preferred sector for investors in the past, and the growth there has been phenomenal,” he says. “But that really caters to the young city worker, the millennial, and there haven’t really been any products aimed at families in the suburbs. Now t