Mortgage intermediaries are confident that buy-to-let property investors will expand their portfolios this year.

It comes as the global credit crunch makes it increasingly difficult for first-time buyers to enter the property market.

This means that experienced buy-to-let investors can land themselves a bargain in what has become a buyers'' market.

According to a study from the Mortgage Works, 44 per cent of the 3,179 intermediaries questioned said that they expect landlords to expand their portfolios in the coming months.

A further 44 per cent anticipate seeing buy-to-let investors maintain their current portfolio, with just 12 per cent forecasting that landlords will look to sell their properties.

"Intermediaries are on the frontline of the mortgage market and so are well placed to assess the prospects of professional landlords," commented Andy McQuuen from the Mortgage Works.

"Clearly the current climate is not ideal for first-time landlords, given the limited number of deals available to them, but experienced investors may find excellent opportunities in a cooling housing market to purchase additional property," he added.