H1 2025 at a glance – revenue up, margins steady at a 15‑year high
LSL Property Services delivered a solid first half in a recovering housing and mortgage market. Revenue rose 5% to £89.7m, while Group Underlying Operating Profit edged up 3% to £14.8m. Crucially, the underlying operating margin held at 17% – the highest level LSL has sustained in 15 years. The Board’s guidance for the full year is unchanged and management says trading has improved in H2.
Underlying Operating Profit is LSL’s preferred measure of profit before exceptional items, amortisation, share‑based payments and certain JV adjustments. It helps show the core trading performance.
| Key numbers | H1 2025 | H1 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | £89.7m | £85.4m | +5% |
| Underlying Operating Profit | £14.8m | £14.4m | +3% |
| Underlying operating margin | 17% | 17% | Flat |
| Statutory operating profit | £11.0m | £13.0m | ‑15% |
| Profit before tax | £11.3m | £13.8m | ‑18% |
| Adjusted operating cash flow | £7.4m | £11.7m | ‑37% |
| Net cash at 30 June | £22.0m | £32.5m | ‑32% |
| Basic EPS | 8.1p | 9.9p | ‑19% |
| Adjusted basic EPS | 11.0p | 11.0p | Flat |
| Interim dividend | 4.0p | 4.0p | Unchanged |
Return on capital employed (ROCE) over the last 12 months was 31% (2024: 29%), a structurally higher level than historic averages. ROCE measures how efficiently the business is using its capital base to generate profit.
What moved the dial in each division
Surveying & Valuation – utilisation high, margin normalising
- Revenue grew 9% to £53.2m, helped by a 7% increase in jobs and a 2% rise in income per job.
- Underlying operating profit slipped to £11.9m (H1 2024: £12.9m) as surveyor incentives normalised and LSL invested in its data strategy.
- Underlying operating margin was 22% (H1 2024: 26%).
- B2C revenue jumped 43% to £4.0m, a positive mix shift towards end‑customer work.
- Market share of physical and remote valuation instructions was around 37% (H1 2024: 38%).
The big strategic angle is automation. LSL expects its automated valuation model (AVM) to generate first revenues in Q4 2025. AVMs are algorithmic valuations used by lenders and, once commercialised, should add a new, scalable revenue stream with attractive margins.
Financial Services – profits up, business reshaped
- Segment revenue was £23.5m (H1 2024: £23.6m), broadly flat, but underlying operating profit rose 23% to £4.8m, with margin at 18%.
- UK new mortgage lending increased 22% to £134bn. LSL’s new lending grew 23% to £15.2bn, nudging market share to 11.3% (H1 2024: 11.2%).
- Protection revenue fell 12% to £6.6m as LSL intentionally reduced protection‑only brokers. Adviser numbers were 2,245 for mortgage and protection, plus 392 protection‑only.
- Pivotal Growth JV moved into the black at the profit after tax level (£0.1m), and LSL earned £0.4m of interest income on JV loan notes.
Tech investment is a theme. A new CRM system is rolling out across PRIMIS and TMA to boost adviser productivity. The spend in 2025 is expected to be £3m. In plain English, better systems should mean quicker case handling and higher throughput per adviser.
Estate Agency Franchising – steady income, bigger footprint
- Revenue was £13.0m, with underlying operating profit of £3.2m and a healthy 24% margin.
- Sales exchanges were 17% above H1 2024, broadly in line with the wider market improvement.
- Three lettings book acquisitions were supported, adding over 600 managed properties. Properties under management were stable at 37,246, with 313 territories now covered.
Franchising keeps the model capital light and scalable. Central costs fell to £5.0m (H1 2024: £5.5m), which helps protect Group margins through the cycle.
Cash, balance sheet and capital returns
Adjusted operating cash flow was £7.4m, lower year on year due to the unwind of favourable year‑end working capital positions. Management says cash conversion over the last 12 months was 95% and expects normalisation in H2. The Group finished the half with £22.0m of net cash and an undrawn £60m revolving credit facility maturing January 2030. There is also a £30m accordion for extra headroom if needed. An RCF is a flexible bank facility that can be drawn and repaid as required.
LSL paid the 2024 final dividend of £7.6m, spent £1.4m on buybacks in the half, and has deployed £3.0m of its £7m buyback programme to date. The interim dividend is held at 4.0p. Ex‑dividend date is 2 October 2025, record date 3 October, and payment on 7 November.
On provisions and exceptional items, there was £1.8m of exceptional costs in H1, mainly Financial Services restructuring and CEO/CFO change costs, plus expenses arising from the administration of Tenet Group related to the TenetLime acquisition. Provisions for liabilities stood at £11.4m at period end.
Outlook – refinancing tailwind and tech catalysts
Management reports a good start to H2 and continues to expect an increase in underlying profit for FY 2025 in line with market expectations. July was the strongest refinancing month of the year so far, with mortgage pipelines above historic norms. That points to a busier second half for advisers and surveyors.
Two near‑term catalysts to watch:
- Commercial launch of AVM in Surveying & Valuation in Q4 2025.
- Productivity benefits from the new CRM across the PRIMIS network.
Why this matters for investors
LSL’s strategy is working where it counts: a capital light model, resilient margins and high ROCE. The Surveying & Valuation arm continues to win work and is moving into higher‑growth B2C and data‑driven products. Financial Services is protecting margin while repositioning the adviser base, and the franchised Estate Agency provides steady, low‑capex income with upside from lettings consolidation.
There are trade‑offs. Statutory profit fell due to exceptional costs and normalised surveyor incentives. Cash conversion in H1 was soft because of working capital timing. Protection revenue and protection‑only adviser numbers are lower by design. None of these are fatal, but they are worth tracking.
Overall, this is a tidy set of in‑line results with sensible investment in systems and data. If refinancing momentum carries through H2 and AVM revenues arrive as planned, LSL has a credible route to higher earnings without stretching the balance sheet.
What I’m watching next
- AVM commercialisation and early revenue traction in Q4 2025.
- Cash conversion and net cash progression through H2 after the working capital unwind.
- PRIMIS CRM roll‑out milestones and any uplift in adviser productivity or retention.
- Pivotal Growth JV profitability and returns on new acquisitions.
- Remaining £4m of the buyback programme and the pace of capital returns.
Handy details and investor links
- Interim dividend: 4.0p. Ex‑div 2 October 2025. Record date 3 October. Payment 7 November.
- Presentation and documents: LSL investor communications.
Bottom line from me: LSL is quietly compounding. With a strong franchise platform, sticky lender relationships and fresh tech in the pipe, the Group looks set up for a better second half. Keep an eye on cash, but the strategic direction is pointing the right way.
