Raw Capital Partners commissioned an independent survey of 300 UK mortgage brokers which found that a third (35%) of brokers frequently work with non-UK resident clients, while 48% do so occasionally.

Only 5% said they never have international clients.

The majority (60%) of brokers have noticed an increase in demand from overseas over the past five years, while 63% expect demand to increase or remain stable in the five years to come.

Brokers working with international clients identified Europe and the Middle East as the most frequent regions of origin for their clients, with 30% reporting that they have arranged mortgages for clients from both areas within the last five years.

This was followed by North America (25%), while 23% have had clients from Far East Asia.

However, while investor demand for UK property coming from the Middle East, Far East and US often attracts the headlines, RAW Capital Partners’ research found there was still significant demand coming from less-talked-about regions.

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For example, 24% of brokers said they have had clients from Central America and the Caribbean since 2020, while 16% said the same about Africa.

Tim Parkes, CEO at RAW Capital Partners, commented: “When we think of international investors purchasing UK properties, we often assume the buyers are based in places like the UAE, Hong Kong or the US.

“However, our research indicates that international demand for UK property investments is actually really diverse.

“The problem is that investors coming from places like Africa or even Eastern Europe are poorly served by the mortgage and specialist finance markets, with many lenders choosing to focus primarily on high-net-worth (HNW) investors from the traditionally dominant markets.

“This overlooks the fact that there are emerging middle classes in these regions, and these affluent investors are often drawn to the stability and historical strength of UK property as an asset they want in their portfolios.

“For the market to keep pace with the changing nature of the global investment landscape, brokers and lenders must collaborate to broaden their offerings and develop financial products that accommodate a wider range of borrowers.”