Inside the Empire: Hayley Andrews on Growth, Strategy & the Business of Property

In today’s episode, I sit down with Hayley Andrews, the award-winning investor, “dragon” on Sky TV’s Property Elevator, and the force behind Hard Hats to Heels and the Women in Property Awards, to unpack how she’s built a diverse, multi-strategy portfolio over two decades, from vanilla buy-to-lets and HMOs through to hotels, listed buildings and complex commercial schemes.

Hayley shares the real story behind her growth: starting out on a council estate, using property as a pension, then scaling into bigger and more complex projects by buying well, managing risk ruthlessly and building serious relationships with councils, heritage bodies and regeneration boards. We dig into her transformation of a derelict museum into “Fun City”, a new entertainment quarter that’s now set to roll out across market towns in the UK.

If you’re serious about playing the long game in property - building wealth, not just collecting units and you want a candid look at what it really takes to operate at the top level, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

🎯 What You’ll Learn

• How Hayley grew from single lets to large HMOs, commercial conversions and hotels
• The negotiation principles she uses to always buy right (and walk away when she has to)
• Why a solid, cash-flowing base is essential before you take on complex “trophy” projects
• How she engineered the museum-to-entertainment-quarter deal and secured all three buildings from the council
• Why understanding demand, data and end users comes before any offer or design
• How and why she’s championing women in the industry through Hard Hats to Heels and the Women in Property Awards

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💻Resources & Mentions

• 1-2-1 Mentorship: Ready to take things to the next level? Apply to join my 1-2-1 mentorship programme here.
• The HMO Roadmap: Feeling overwhelmed? Access 400+ tools, templates, and lessons to help you start, scale, and systemise your HMO business - all in one place. Join here.
• Facebook Community: Got questions or need support? Come and connect with 10,000+ investors inside The HMO Community here.
• Social: Follow me on Instagram for daily HMO tips, advice, and behind-the-scenes updates here.