Finding deals
A good deal is rarely the property itself — it's the gap between what you pay and what it could be worth once you've done your bit. Finding deals is really about finding those gaps.
Where investors look
- Rightmove and Zoopla (the obvious starting point)
- Local estate agents — build relationships, not just alerts
- Property auctions
- Landlords looking to retire or exit
- Off-market opportunities
- Local contacts and word of mouth
- Deal sourcers
- Existing landlords with tired or under-managed stock
- Properties about to come to market
What makes it a deal
You're looking for at least one of these angles:
- A discount against current market value
- An opportunity to improve the property
- An opportunity to increase the rental income
- An opportunity to refinance later at a higher value
The strongest deals stack two or three of these together — a tired property, bought a bit under value, where the rent can also be lifted.
Spotted something? Stamp duty is the first cost to pin down.
Check the SDLTKey takeaways
- Deals come from gaps: price vs value, current vs potential condition or rent.
- Relationships with agents and landlords surface more than portals alone.
- The best opportunities usually combine a discount with an improvement angle.
Want to check whether a real deal is financeable? Shape it, then send it over for a sense-check.
Open the Deal ShaperModule exam
Answer all 4 questions. You need 75% to pass and complete the module — anything you miss points you back to the right section.
1. A property is most likely a 'deal' when:
2. Which of these is an off-market source of deals?
3. The strongest deals usually:
4. Building relationships with local estate agents helps because: