- Rent-to-rent deals can make sourcers £3,000 per property found.
- Properties on the market for over 60 days are more likely to have landlords who want R2R.
- Listings with recent price drops show landlords may be flexible and open to rent-to-rent.
- Direct mail contact really helps get in touch with possible landlord leads.
- The same basic rent-to-rent finding plan works everywhere—even in places like Las Vegas.
Why Rent-to-Rent Is a Big Change
The rent-to-rent plan changes the usual way to get rental income. Instead of waiting years to save for a deposit or get a mortgage, R2R lets investors earn from real estate control, not ownership. Your setup is simple: you rent a property, then make more money by using it better through HMOs, serviced places, or short-term lets.
Rent-to-rent is attractive because it can grow and is easy to change. If set up right, it gives:
- Monthly cash you can count on
- Less money needed to start than buy-to-let
- No worry about interest rate increases or mortgage debt
- A way to build a repeating income set of properties fairly fast
A rent-to-rent sourcer can make up to £3,000 per deal when changing a property to an investor. This is a lot, especially for people starting out with little money. Many R2R people do even more by offering property management all the time, making service fees for a long time and building a full property business.
With finding tools and landlord want data ready for you, you can make the time from looking to getting a deal much shorter.
Let’s see how to do that.
Step 1: Log Into the Platform
Start by making a free or paid account with a finding platform like Property Deals Insight from the UK that puts deal-finding features, landlord finding, and contact tools in one place. Once you log in, you’ll see your dashboard—where you find rent-to-rent deals and take out not-so-good chances.
In a finding platform, you may see features like:
- Smart Deal Finder
- Wanting Sellers Tool
- Rental Info
- Property filters from Land Registry
- Ways to contact landlords directly
Step 2: Use the Wanting Sellers Prospecting Tool
Landlords who want to sell are great in R2R. These are property owners who might agree to a guaranteed rent deal because they have:
- Tenants leaving often
- Bad tenants
- Empty places or not many people renting
- Stress from daily management
- Money problems from empty units
To find these people, go to the ‘Prospecting’ tab, then pick the Wanting Sellers section. This tool gathers public property data and adds signs that show where landlords may be flexible. Think of it as seeing through walls in the UK property market.
Why wanting sellers are important:
- They may be more open to flexible lease terms
- They may want guaranteed rent instead of normal tenants
- Talking to them is faster and often more working together
Step 3: Set Your Search Rules
A good property search saves you from guessing for hours. In the tool, you’ll say:
- Places you want to target: Start with areas you know or where many people want to rent. Key UK places for R2R are Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, and London areas like Croydon or Newham. Properties near hospitals, universities, and transport are best.
- Property types: Focus on terraced or semi-detached homes with 3–5 bedrooms, as these work well as HMOs.
- Ownership details: Look for landlords who don’t live in the home, showing the property might be a rental or investment.
If you’re in a market like Las Vegas, the search looks different, but the idea is the same: look for listings empty for a long time, owners not living there, or properties with price drops.
Tip: Save your search rules to run the search again each week.
Step 4: Use Smart Filters
Filters help you focus on deals that can really happen—not just properties online for show. Here’s how different filters show different wants:
Filter 1: Only Rental Listings
First look at homes already for rent. These are owned by landlords and likely not lived in by the owner. They’re also ready to check for cash flow.
Filter 2: On Market for Over 60 Days
If a rental property is empty for two months or more, the landlord might be:
- Annoyed that it’s taking long
- Worried about costs going up
- Ready for other plans like rent-to-rent
Filter 3: Price Reduced
This really shows something now. A price drop usually means the landlord is in a hurry or not happy with past renters. A landlord wanting £1,500 per month now asking £1,250 is wanting to make a deal.
Filter 4: Not on Market or Stopped Properties
Homes not on the market (or marked ‘let agreed’ but still empty) can be missed, but may be chances with less competition. Contact them again by mail before others see them.
Put these filters together to make a list of leads that are likely to work for rent-to-rent plans.
Step 5: Look at the Results and Check Property Data
Once you have the filtered results, check the details for each property:
- Full address and postcode
- Sale and rental past
- Expected rental income
- Empty risks or how fast it can be rented again
- Landlord or agent contact info
Ask yourself: Can this property be made into a 4-bed HMO? Is the layout good? Are there enough things nearby like shops for short-term lets? How many HMOs are already in the area?
Also, see if listings are not with letting agents. These are often handled by private landlords—making your R2R talk shorter and easier.
Step 6: Contact the Landlords Directly
This is where you get deals or lose them: talking to people. Most people fail here—but a comprehensive finding tool can make it easier.
Use the Direct Mail feature built in to:
- Change ready-made rent-to-rent offer letters
- Add your logo, name, and contact info
- Mail landlords automatically without finding addresses yourself
The message should be about help and good things:
“I give landlords rent that is sure, no tenant problems, and full peace of mind—in writing.”
Don’t think too much. Keep it friendly but professional. Say what you’ve done, add an example if you can, and offer to talk on the phone—always tell them what to do next.
Step 7: Take Out Your Data and Watch Progress
Keeping track of talks is key to grow.
After making your landlord list and contact letter:
- Take your data out to a CSV or CRM
- Put leads into groups (Interested | Follow-Up | Not Interested | Lost)
- Write down reminders and follow-up dates
- Use platform tools or VAs to make contact regular
Being effective is important. Sourcers who watch how well they are doing, landlord answers, and how many become deals often do better than those just guessing or trying now and then.
Get More Replies from Landlords: Good Plans
Let’s make landlords reply to you more. These best actions really help you get “yes” answers.
Test Different Messages
Try two letters: one about taking away landlord stress, one about money gains. See which works best.
Make a Follow-Up Plan
Send another letter 7–10 days after the first one. Be more gentle: “Just checking if you saw my last letter.”
Add Proof or a One-Page Paper
A PDF showing another R2R success with photos and payment history makes you look real.
Link to Online Info
Your own website or a simple LinkedIn page showing what you’ve done helps landlords trust your offer.
Search Again Each Week
Don’t stop after one search. Property situations change every day. The best deal this week was not there last week.
Learning from the Las Vegas Way (Steve Hawks Idea)
Maximizing the use of property finding tools for rent-to-rent deals are great for US investors. This is because real estate experts like Steve Hawks in Las Vegas use a lot of:
- Data on sellers who want to sell fast
- Price changes over time
- Contact plans to people they don’t know
- Making lease deals that are good for everyone
Wrapping It Up
You don’t have to own property to get rental income or build a property set. Rent-to-rent is the fastest way for new investors wanting cash flow, and it grows well with the right systems. By using comprehensive and intuitive property finding tools, you miss the trouble of endless searching and start talking right to landlords who want a deal. You’ll get ahead by acting faster, talking better, and giving landlords real, easy answers.
Whether you’re in Birmingham or Las Vegas, the plan is the same: find landlords who want a deal, show yourself as the best way to easy income, and make repeating value from rented properties.