The sight of an athletic, vaguely recognisable figure twirling the keys to their Bentley whilst being careful not to scuff their brand new trainers is now known as the ultimate godsend in the letting agent's bible.
Behind the designer shades in this case is a footballer and one that's willing to pay big to land the perfect rental property.
Behind the designer shades in this case is a footballer and one that's willing to pay big to land the perfect rental property.
Sportsmen of this profession are extremely well paid and will move from city to city if and when their club tells them to. They're often not looking to purchase a house for the risk of having to abandon it just months later. Instead, they pay sizeable figures to put themselves up in affluent areas on a temporary basis. Only the best will suffice, but landlords that can offer such a luxury are in for a huge payday.
Footballers are humans and need a house to call home too - it's not exactly a revelation. So has the property market cashed in on the back of footballers for a while or is the increased exposure of this just a result of the game's rising profile?
Nature of the modern profession
Simply put, footballers are worth more to the property market than they ever have been due to an increase in player movement.
Around 30 years ago, players would only get through a handful of moves throughout their career. Footballers would often start at their hometown side after being picked up by a scout and would only move for a huge fee. That was until Belgian Jean-Marc Bosman's judicial challenge of football transfer rules allowed players to freely switch to a club at the end of their contracts without a fee changing hands.
This led to an increase in transfers after the law's passing in 1995, with clubs and players forced to get used to going about business almost on a month-by-month basis. The Premier League achieved new heights commercially during this period and this allowed bankrolled clubs to fund more transfers - again, leading to increased player movement. Meanwhile loan deals, allowing an athlete to temporarily play for a club, became a much more acceptable way of acquisition.
So there's plenty of evidence to suggest that the 1990s saw more players moving around, with these superstars possibly seeing rental properties as a more viable option.
Current situation
Bringing things up to speed, the January 2013 transfer window saw clubs from all four tiers of the English football pyramid spend a total of £120 million - double the outlay during the same period in 2012 and the fourth biggest amount since the window's introduction in 2003. A large number of transfers saw overseas players like Chris Samba (Russia to London) move to the UK, while a number of Premier League veterans also needed new homes after securing their transfers.
Meanwhile, cash-strapped Football League clubs saw plenty of value in the loan market. A total of 39 players moved between the Championship, League One and League Two on short-term deals during January 31 alone. Whether they're Premier League players moving down the pyramid in search of regular game time or League Two journeymen with just £1,500 per week to play with, their attachment to the clubs will end in four months tops - the season's end - which is why they'll have put themselves in a hotel before looking for a suitable house to rent.
Has this long been the case? Not exactly. Transfer fees are always rising in the Premier League, while loan moves are becoming increasingly popular for clubs that lack the finance to buy their new stars but need the talent to challenge for honours.
The end result is more players moving about and, to the benefit of the rental market, more players anticipating a move and choosing to live out of their Louis Vuitton suitcases.
Why not just buy?
Premier League footballers earn around £30,000 week, potentially rising to £200,000 and beyond if they're handy with the ball, so why wouldn't they just buy a property? Well, some do. Club legends like Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea) and Rio Ferdinand have been at their respective sides for well over ten years and it would take some offer for them to be taken elsewhere. They buy mansions and set up sticks somewhere quiet, usually outside of the city to get well away from it all.
For those who are yet to find the club they'd like to finish their career with, they can't afford to call one place home - not just yet. In fact, a study from Xpro, a charity for ex-players of the game, claims three out of five Premier League players are forced into bankruptcy after making bad investments and, on occasion, failing to pay back loans on properties.
It's less of a problem for players earning £80,000 and up. They can afford to buy their assets outright. But for those with an expensive taste on £10,000 and below in lower leagues like the Championship, League One and League Two, mortgages are still required. Their ability to pay off debt often rests on how well they manage their money - so in other words, having a reliable advisor to whisper in their ear.
Most don't take the chance of building up debt or having to shift a property once they leave a club, so they decide to rent instead.
So there it is. The ever increasing number of player transfers and the development of an expensive taste can be owed to the rising value of footballers to the rental market. This hasn't been the case forever, but it's most certainly the case now.
