Understanding Build to Rent Consumers: A Strategic Approach for Institutional Landlords

Why Understanding Your BTR Consumers is Critical

The success of any Build to Rent (BTR) scheme hinges on a fundamental principle: knowing your customers. Unlike traditional private rentals, BTR operates on an institutional scale, meaning landlords must align their strategy with well-defined target audiences to drive lease-up success, retention, and long-term profitability.

Key benefits of understanding your BTR consumers:

• Optimised pricing and positioning – Matching rental values to your desired demographic’s budgets.
• Improved lease-up velocity – Targeting the right renters with data-driven marketing strategies.
• Higher retention rates – Enhancing resident satisfaction and reducing churn.
• Increased Net Operating Income (NOI) – Minimising void periods and maximising rental income.
• Enhanced amenity and service design – Offering features that truly add value for tenants based on their wants and needs.

A BTR scheme that is misaligned with renter expectations risks prolonged voids, underperformance on ERVs, and weaker tenant retention. That’s why a consumer-first approach is critical.

The Process: How to Understand Your BTR Consumers

Before Launch: Identifying Your Ideal Renters

Before a scheme goes live, landlords should invest in data collection and market analysis to define their target renter profile. This includes:

• Mapping Tenant Demographics
• Who are they? Young professionals, families, corporate renters?
• Where do they currently live, and why would they relocate?
• What is their income bracket and rental affordability?
• Understanding Renter Motivations
• What drives their decisions? Commute times, local amenities, affordability, pet policies, value for money?
• How do they search for rental properties – online platforms, relocation services, or social media?
• What expectations do they have regarding service, amenities, pet ownership, and lease flexibility?
• Data-Driven Research
• Conduct surveys, focus groups, and local market analysis.
• Study migration patterns and demand drivers in the area.
• Evaluate competitors’ offerings and occupancy trends.

A well-researched tenant profile enables landlords to craft the right proposition, pricing strategy, and marketing approach to secure high-quality renters efficiently.

After Launch: Continuous Consumer Insights

Once a scheme is operational, it’s vital to maintain ongoing feedback loops to refine the resident experience and improve retention. Landlords should implement structured data collection at key points:

• Pre-Move-In: Surveys during enquiry and application stages to understand renters' expectations.
• Post-Move-In: Feedback on the onboarding experience, unit quality, community offerings and customer service.
• Renewal Stage: Insights into what influences tenants to stay or leave.
• Pre-Exit Surveys: Understanding reasons for non-renewal to adjust retention strategies.

Monitoring Indirect Feedback

Not all valuable feedback comes from direct tenant surveys. To gain a holistic view of consumer sentiment, landlords should monitor:

• Online Reviews – Tracking sentiment on Google, Trustpilot and rental platforms.
• Social Media Discussions – Observing trends in renter feedback on forums and popular social platforms.
• Service Request Patterns – Identifying recurring maintenance or service issues.

By maintaining a data-driven approach to tenant insights, landlords can anticipate market shifts, proactively address tenant needs, and optimise their leasing strategy.

Why Home Made is the Best Partner for BTR Landlords

Home Made, the UK’s leading BTR leasing solution, empowers landlords with unparalleled tenant insights and leasing expertise. Our approach ensures landlords attract, convert, and retain the right renters with precision.

How we support landlords in understanding their consumers:

• Granular Market Data – We analyse tenant demand patterns, pricing elasticity, and local market trends.
• Scalable, Targeted Marketing – Leveraging digital platforms, SEO, and strategic campaigns to reach the right renters.
• Customised Leasing Strategies – Adapting unit positioning, pricing, and lease structures to match target tenant preferences.
• AI-Powered Lead Qualification – Identifying high-intent renters and optimising conversion rates.
• Resident Feedback Loops – Continuous data collection to inform service improvements and retention strategies.

A Proven Track Record

Home Made’s expertise and data-driven approach have helped landlords optimise asset performance. One example involved leveraging proprietary data to redesign an asset’s offering, aligning it with newly identified renter preferences. This resulted in a 30%+ ERV increase, a stronger community presence, and a 1,200% rise in renter demand.

For another client, Home Made’s integrated feedback loops continuously refined the asset’s offering based on evolving tenant needs. Insights gathered from exit surveys and ongoing resident engagement helped introduce tailored community activities and improve the perception of communal spaces, directly addressing renters’ shifting priorities. As a result, motivations for relocation shifted, increasing renewal rates and reducing voids.

By partnering with Home Made, BTR landlords benefit from a tech-enabled, resident-first leasing approach that enhances portfolio performance and maximises NOI.

Conclusion

Understanding BTR consumers is not a one-time exercise; it’s an ongoing strategy that separates high-performing assets from underperforming ones. Landlords who invest in data-led consumer insights can reduce voids, optimise pricing, and build lasting communities that attract and retain high-quality renters.

To learn more about how Home Made can help you refine your leasing strategy and enhance tenant engagement, get in touch today at btr@home-made.com


TL;DR:

Success in Build to Rent (BTR) depends on knowing your renters. A consumer-first approach drives faster lease-ups, higher retention, and increased Net Operating Income (NOI). By leveraging data on tenant demographics, motivations, and appropriate feedback loops, landlords can optimise pricing, amenities, and marketing strategies to align with demand.

As the UK’s leading BTR leasing provider, Home Made equips landlords with powerful market insights, leveraging proprietary data and tech-driven insights to help landlords tailor their offering and drive effective leasing strategies  Our expertise has helped clients achieve significant rent growth, reduced voids, and stronger tenant engagement.

Invest in data-led consumer insights to maximise your asset’s performance. Get in touch with Home Made today to see how we can drive impact for your portfolio.