Property expert Simon Zutshi, author of Property Magic and founder of the Property Investors Network, recently shared his personal experience of selling one of his own investment properties in a YouTube video posted on 26th Aug 2025 — a rare move for someone who typically prefers to hold.
His insights offer a valuable blueprint for landlords wondering whether it’s time to sell, how to choose the right estate agent, and how to make sure every pound of equity is working as hard as possible.
1. Know When It’s Time to Sell
Simon admits he doesn’t often sell properties, but there are circumstances when it makes sense.
He advises landlords to consider selling if:
- Local demand has dropped and the property has become hard to rent.
- Significant equity is trapped in the property, and it’s not generating a strong return.
In his own case, Simon chose to sell a property near Derby that he had owned for many years through a joint venture. After a long-term tenant moved out, the house required a full refurbishment — new kitchen, bathrooms, electrics, plastering, boiler, and carpets. Instead of simply re-letting, he decided to sell to free up capital for better-performing investments elsewhere.
“It’s not a great time to sell – it’s a buyer’s market,” Simon admits. “But sometimes, you can make your money work much harder in another deal.”
Aug 2025
Landlord Sales Agency comment: in the video Simon also encourages landlords to treat their portfolios as living assets — to review, tweak, and rebalance each year. With this in in mind, we would also like to add; irrespective of the housing market, the best time to sell is always before ownership becomes a problem. Don’t just look at how your property is performing or how it has performed in the past; look to the future and consider every property for its robustness in the face of imminent and ever changing legislation.
2. Presentation Is Everything
Before listing, Simon and his partner ensured the property was in perfect condition: fully refitted and ready for a buyer to move straight in.
In today’s market, where buyers are cautious and choosy, presentation can make all the difference. A tired or half-finished property risks sitting on the market for months or attracting only low offers.
“Make sure your property is in the best possible condition,” he says. “That’s why we did a full refurb — to maximise what we can achieve from the sale.”
Landlord Sales Agency comment: If you have vacant possession, no mortgage and an established team of builders, painters and decorators behind you, it makes perfect sense to spend the time and effort getting a property at its best to sell but if you cannot afford to run an empty property for 10 months or more (conservative estimate – see real life examples of landlords trying to gain vacant possession) or pay upfront for refurbishments, another option is to sell to an investor who does have the time, money and inclination to spend on improving your property. We sell to both investors and chain free buyers who compete against each other to ensure we find your the best price for your property – in any condition; with or without tenants.
3. Choose Your Agent Carefully
Finding the right estate agent can be the difference between losing thousands and achieving top market value. Simon warns landlords not to take agents’ valuations at face value:
“Many agents will inflate the price to win your listing, then quietly reduce it later.”
Instead, he recommends:
- Testing responsiveness: If an agent is slow to return your calls, they’ll likely be slow to respond to buyers too.
- Asking for comparables: Insist on evidence of similar properties recently sold (not just listed).
- Getting multiple valuations: Prices can vary wildly — in Simon’s case, two agents differed by £75,000 on the same property.
He recalls a past deal in London where the first agent valued a property at £350,000, but a second agent — who backed their opinion with strong local sales data — sold it for £400,000 within three weeks.
“If we’d gone with the first agent, we’d have lost £50,000 of profit,” Simon notes. “Always check that your agent truly understands your local market.”
Landlord Sales Agency comment: We pride ourselves on being totally open with the offers we make which are 85-90% of the realistic open market value in returns for fast, secured sale without having to evict tenants. In our opinion we provide the best service possible not just until a sale is agreed, right up to when the cash is deposited in your bank. Also, if your property is currently tenanted, don’t just consider the valuation you’re given; consider too the cost of gaining vacant possession and VOID periods. See our useful guide here.
4. Understand Your Return on Investment (ROI)
Simon stresses that landlords shouldn’t just focus on purchase price and rent — they must regularly reassess how effectively each property is performing.
ROI is calculated as:
Annual profit ÷ initial investment × 100
A standard single let might yield 5–7% (or less in London), while HMOs can achieve 15–20%, and rent-to-rent or purchase lease options can exceed 50–100% if managed well.
However, once equity builds up over time, landlords should shift their focus from ROI to return on equity — the profit relative to how much money they could release after selling, paying off the mortgage and tax.
“Even if a property gives you good cash flow, if there’s £100,000 tied up and you’re only earning £3,000 a year, that’s just a 3% return,” Simon explains. “You could sell, reinvest, and earn far more.”
5. Keep Reviewing Your Portfolio
Simon encourages landlords to treat their portfolios as living assets — to review, tweak, and rebalance each year.
“Don’t just look at the money you originally put in,” he says. “Look at the equity you’ve built and ask: is this property still the best place for my money?”
That mindset shift — from passive holding to active portfolio optimisation — is at the heart of professional property investing.
6. Key Takeaways for Landlords
Simon Zutshi’s approach can be summarised in six key steps:
- Reassess regularly – Is your equity working hard enough?
- Sell strategically – When returns or local demand weaken, consider recycling capital.
- Refurbish before selling – A move-in-ready home attracts higher offers.
- Choose your agent wisely – Get multiple valuations and proof of local sales.
- Track ROI and return on equity – Numbers should guide every decision.
- Reinvest intelligently – Deploy released capital into higher-yielding opportunities.
Final Thought
Selling isn’t about giving up on a property — it’s about unlocking potential elsewhere.
“Sometimes the best deal isn’t the one you hold,” Simon concludes. “It’s the one you sell so your money can work even harder for you.”
Landlord Sales Agency comment: We specialise in delivering the money you raise from your property sale to your bank account faster than high street agents. We secure sales agreements early on so that you can rely on the sale going through and provide other options like interest free cash advances up to £20K once a sale has been agreed – perfect for investors who need to release funds quickly to secure their next deal.
To watch this and other videos from Simon, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J0TMemuAvU
Sell Before May 1st 2026
With The Renters’ Rights Act just 6 months away from being “fully operational,” you’re not alone if you’re a landlord thinking of selling before it comes into action, – an article in The Telegraph this week likened the rush of landlords selling as a “fire sale” naming the Renters’ Rights Act as the trigger to “a burst of property sales as landlords race to exit the market before the landmark legislation comes into force.”
Christmas is coming and many landlords will be planning to sell in the new year but the smartest landlords will be putting those plans into action now.
If you want to be ready to list your property or properties in January, contact us today, let us know you want to wait and we will get everything ready to make sure you’re fully compliant and ready to start the new year ahead of the crowds.