The UK’s letting industry - valued at over £60 billion annually - is creaking under the strain of regulation, reduced profit margins, and increasing compliance complexity. According to the report, nearly half of all agents expect profitability to fall in 2026, staff retention remains one of the biggest challenges, and voids and arrears are trending up across much of the market.
Yet here in Shoreditch, base property specialists continues to outperform on every measurable front. In a sector where “good enough” too often passes for service, we’ve built a business that thrives on discipline, transparency, technology - and a deep respect for both landlords and tenants alike.
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1️⃣ The National Picture: A Sector Under Pressure
Goodlord’s 2025 data confirms what many in the industry already feel: agents are being squeezed from every direction.
• Rising costs & shrinking margins: Over 60% of agencies surveyed cited profitability concerns.
• Staff burnout & turnover: The average employee tenure has dropped below 2 years across much of the sector.
• Longer voids & weaker renewals: Goodlord reports average void periods now above 20 days nationally, with renewal rates dipping to near 50%.
• Rent arrears have ticked up as affordability continues to bite.
These are not isolated issues - they’re systemic. A decade of rapid growth, followed by a regulatory reckoning, is exposing operational weaknesses in agencies that grew without structure or sustainability.
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2️⃣ base by the Numbers: When Precision Becomes Performance
At base, we’ve spent 21 years proving that lettings done right isn’t a gamble - it’s a system.
base property specialists vs the UK average (Goodlord Data 2025)
• Average tenancy length: 3.8 years vs ~1.6 years (UK)
• Average void period: 8 working days vs ~20–25 days
• Renewal rate: 40% (historically was 80%) vs ~50%
• Rent arrears: 0.2% (21 year average) vs 4–6%
• Customer satisfaction: 97.6% (1,318 verified reviews, 5★ Google) vs <85%
• Staff tenure: 7 years vs <2 years
• Profit margin: 2–3× industry average
• Legal disputes/complaints: None in 21 years
While the wider market reports erosion in revenue and retention, base continues to record 5% portfolio growth in 2025 - modest but meaningful in a contracting market.
That growth is no accident; it’s the result of 21 years of doing the hard things well.
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3️⃣ Why We’re Built Differently: People, Process and PropTech
Goodlord’s research shows that fewer than one in three agencies have fully digitised tenancy progression or automated renewals. Many still rely on manual workflows, fragmented data, and legacy systems that slow their teams and frustrate customers.
We made a different choice - long before it was fashionable.
⚙️ PropTech Ecosystem
We’ve engineered a connected technology stack that integrates Alto, Goodlord, PropertyFile, The Depositary, InventoryBase, Fixflo, ESTAS, Giraffe360, and more. This ecosystem automates compliance, tracks maintenance, and provides 24/7 transparency for both landlords and tenants.
Our new partnership with Goodlord further strengthens this infrastructure, providing faster onboarding, seamless referencing, and digital contract management - delivering speed without sacrificing service.
💼 Process and Precision
Every property we manage is treated like an asset under stewardship, not an address on a list. We mandate a minimum 3-working-day void between tenancies to ensure proactive repairs and presentation - a policy that drives satisfaction, protects asset value, and prevents arrears.
💡 People and Professionalism
Our average team tenure sits at 7 years - a rare feat in an industry known for high churn.
We invest relentlessly in training and development: monthly legal CPD, ARLA Propertymark qualifications, and a 30-day annual leave allowance that supports wellbeing and retention.
Happy, well-trained agents make better decisions - and better decisions make landlords more money.
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4️⃣ The Cultural Divide: Why Most Agencies Struggle
Goodlord’s 2025 report highlights the same challenges year after year: inconsistent service delivery, limited tech adoption, and outdated attitudes towards compliance. It’s a story of agencies built for yesterday’s lettings landscape trying to survive in tomorrow’s.
In contrast, base has treated compliance as culture, not constraint.
• Zero official complaints in five years
• Zero legal disputes with landlords or tenants in 21 years
• Zero enforcement of guarantor agreements
• Zero rent court cases
That’s not luck - it’s systems, empathy, and accountability in action. We don’t chase volume; we build trust. And trust compounds.
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5️⃣ The 2025 Landlord Landscape: Caution Meets Opportunity
Landlords reading Goodlord’s data may feel uneasy. Profitability is being squeezed, tax reform looms large, and tenant expectations are higher than ever. But with every market reset comes opportunity - for those who adapt.
Where others cut corners, we double down on excellence:
• Energy efficiency upgrades built into asset plans ahead of 2030 standards.
• Data-led pricing models that track market elasticity by postcode and property type.
• Tenant experience metrics directly linked to portfolio returns.
The result? Fewer voids, lower arrears, longer tenancies, and stronger yields - the metrics that actually matter.
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6️⃣ The base Model: Profit Through Professionalism
In an industry where many agents chase growth at the expense of rigour, base proves that compliance and profitability aren’t opposites - they’re symbiotic.
• Technology removes friction.
• Process drives consistency.
• People deliver empathy.
• Data ensures decisions are right first time.
This alignment means our landlords see better returns, our tenants experience better homes, and our staff build lasting careers - all while maintaining margins two to three times higher than the UK average.
We often say that great lettings isn’t about chasing rent - it’s about managing people and property with respect and precision.
The numbers back us up.
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7️⃣ The Future of Lettings: Adapt or Exit
Goodlord’s report notes that more than one in four agencies are considering exiting or merging before 2027. For landlords, that means consolidation and disruption are inevitable.
But for investors who value stability, compliance, and long-term performance, partnering with the right agent is now a financial strategy, not a convenience.
base is built for this new era - tech-forward, legally literate, operationally lean, and proudly independent.
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8️⃣ Final Thoughts: Choose Data, Not Promises
The lettings market is becoming binary. Agencies that rely on hustle and hope will fall away. Agencies that combine insight, innovation, and integrity will thrive.
We know which side we’re on.
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Benchmark Your Portfolio
Want to know how your current agency performs against our 21-year data set?
We’ll show you your portfolio’s potential - comparing voids, arrears, renewals, and yields side by side.
Book a confidential base performance review and see how the right systems deliver real returns.
