New British startup has a goal to help Gulf investors in the UK

This startup is offering a set number of companies to own homes to aid in international investments looking to build their property portfolios.

A new British startup is offering Gulf investors the chance to become instant residential landlords in the UK, starting with the northern cities of Manchester and Liverpool.

Through an online platform, Dot Residential sets up limited companies to own homes, allowing casual international investors to easily build a property portfolio. The company was founded in April and has processed 30 transactions so far. Around a third of the firm’s buyers hail from the Middle East, and this is not by idle chance; Gray Stern, Co-Founder and CEO of Dot, has said that he is specifically looking to target Gulf investors.

Dot bulk-buys properties from developers at a discount and furnishes them to a “boutique hotel” standard. After choosing the desired property, the landlord must pay for the interior design and furnishings upfront.

In addition, Dot takes out buildings, contents and rent guarantee insurance for clients. After these expenses, the investor receives monthly rent from the property, minus management fees and interest paid on the Dot mortgage.

“We offer a marketplace of high-quality property investments. We package investments so it’s easy for customers; we offer everything in one solution, including vetted properties, finance deals, property management and interiors.”

— Gray Stern, Co-Founder and CEO of Dot Residential

Dot Residential has also launched a “Revive to Rent” (RtR) option, which Stern says holds value for Gulf investors especially. Through this model, investors can put up capital to renovate old buildings and generate additional “upside” from renovation work as well as taking out the base level mortgage.

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