

The Progressive Property Podcast
Kevin McDonnell
The Progressive Property Podcast helps you make smarter property & real estate investments, for leveraged property success & financial freedom, even with little or no money down. Whether you're a buy & hold investor, flipper, deal packager, multi-letter, want to get started, scale up, systemise or create multiple streams of property income, the Progressive Property Podcast will save you time & mistakes & help grow your knowledge, skills, & confidence. No fluff or filler, no ads and deep-dive real life information from real-deal investors who have some of the UKs largest portfolios. Interviews with millionaires, billionaires & successful real life Progressive Property community members will help you build your income generating portfolio in less time. Invest for freedom, choice & profit.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 14, 2021 • 22min
Housing Market Update, New Holiday Lets Regulations - Property News
In this episode, Kevin discusses the boom in the serviced accommodation and holiday let sector, the current state of the market and how we can all keep safe when working alone, especially when on property viewings. KEY TAKEAWAYS There has been a big surge in mortgage products available for holiday let landlords. There are more lenders offering products than six months ago and building societies in particular are offering more deals to meet the growing demand.
Holiday lets are classed as a business which makes them more favourable to investors, you pay less tax on them and they are also not governed by section 24. Across the UK properties are still selling at a high level, but London is not increasing in the same way as the rest of the country. This could be an opportunity, to invest in London whilst the market there is slow.
There is talk of introducing a ‘pet insurance’ policy for tenants in rented properties. This would mean the tenant would pay for the insurance on behalf of the landlord, meaning the landlord doesn’t end up footing the bill for any pet damage.
BEST MOMENTS “Serviced accommodations, staycations, have had a massive bounce back since the lockdown started to open up” “If you can go direct to vendor you’re not competing with other people in the market” “Where there is a risk you must mitigate that risk” VALUABLE RESOURCES https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk ABOUT THE HOST Kevin McDonnell is a Speaker, Author, Mentor & Professional Property Investor. He is an expert when it comes to creative property investment strategies. His book No Money Down: Property Invest talks about how to control and cash flow other people’s property to create financial freedom. CONTACT METHOD https://www.facebook.com/kevinMcDonnellProperty/ https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk/progressive, property, investing, rent, housing, buy to lets, serviced accomodation, block, auction, home, financial freedom, recurring income, tax, mortgage, assets: http://progressiveproperty.co.uk/

Jun 7, 2021 • 18min
Buy, Refurbish, Refinance, Rent Explained!
In this episode, Kevin talks about one of the most popular strategies for professional property investors; the buy, refurbish, refinance and rent property model. He shares his insights, tips and advice on using this as a strategy and how to make it work successfully for you, time and time again. KEY TAKEAWAYS Many people refinance before renting the property out but Kevin believes you should always rent before refinancing! You want to get your property to the highest standard in that area, so that you get the highest rent possible, this is why it is important to rent it out before refinancing, so you can prove its value.
If you reverse engineer the process and have the end value in mind, you know how much you can afford your costs to be and how much you can afford to purchase the property for, and ultimately, can ensure you come out of the deal with a profit.
Delve deep into what purchases will give you the most return. It’s often more profitable to buy two cheaper single lets than to pay for a more expensive property to rent out. Lower demographic areas tend to give more return but it is a fine line between this and somewhere too cheap that will just give you problems, particularly with tenants.
One of the most important numbers to focus on with this strategy is your ROCE-return on capital employed. How hard is the money you have left in that property working for you? Ideally you want to get all of your initial investment out in the first 12 months.
When refurbishing, remember this is not going to be your home, so put your personal preferences and tastes aside and just ensure it is a clean and comfortable property for your future tenants.
Cosmetic areas of the refurb are where you can really add value, especially focusing on kitchens, carpets, bathrooms and redecorating. BEST MOMENTS “Reverse engineer the process, start with the end in mind” “The asking price is unimportant and irrelevant, the important price is the reverse engineered number” “It’s important to not get emotional, do not bring your own personal tastes into this” “The rental income has an impact on the end value” VALUABLE RESOURCES https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk ABOUT THE HOST Kevin McDonnell is a Speaker, Author, Mentor & Professional Property Investor. He is an expert when it comes to creative property investment strategies. His book No Money Down: Property Invest talks about how to control and cash flow other people’s property to create financial freedom. CONTACT METHOD https://www.facebook.com/kevinMcDonnellProperty/ https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk/progressive, property, investing, rent, housing, buy to lets, serviced accomodation, block, auction, home, financial freedom, recurring income, tax, mortgage, assets: http://progressiveproperty.co.uk/

May 31, 2021 • 20min
Why Are House Prices so Expensive?
Today Kevin explores why the house prices have increased so much in the UK since the pandemic started and why they are still increasing. KEY TAKEAWAYS Many people believe the uplift in the property market is because of the stamp duty holiday, but this can’t be the only reason.
1% interest rates have really stimulated the property market, as if you are trying to save you are almost getting no interest, investing in property is a much more viable option right now.
People haven’t been spending like they usually would, their outgoings have gone down. They are perhaps sitting on larger amounts of money that they then want to use to invest.
Inflation for the next period is still uncertain, it’s quite likely that any cash people have saved right now will actually be worth less in 12 months, this combined with almost 0% interest rates means people will lose money. Property is a way of not only protecting this cash but actually increasing it if inflation does increase as predicted.
There has also been an influx of foreign money coming into the UK, there are lots of countries across the world that have either 0% interest rates or negative, which means they will be paying for the bank to hold money, so people are taking their money out of banks and into property.
There is a huge need for more housing in the UK and the pandemic has increased the rate of disused commercial buildings, the government have relaxed planning rules around these types of conversions to help alleviate the pressure. BEST MOMENTS “What else is affecting the market?” “It’s got nothing to do with property investing, it’s got everything to do with economics” VALUABLE RESOURCES https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk ABOUT THE HOST Kevin McDonnell is a Speaker, Author, Mentor & Professional Property Investor. He is an expert when it comes to creative property investment strategies. His book No Money Down: Property Invest talks about how to control and cash flow other people’s property to create financial freedom. CONTACT METHOD https://www.facebook.com/kevinMcDonnellProperty/ https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk/progressive, property, investing, rent, housing, buy to lets, serviced accomodation, block, auction, home, financial freedom, recurring income, tax, mortgage, assets: http://progressiveproperty.co.uk/

May 24, 2021 • 29min
How I secured 26 Properties In Lockdown - Featuring Rob Moore
There are more millionaires made in times of financial crisis than at any other time and today Rob interviews the impressive Fi Crossley, who secured 26 properties over lockdown, testament to how knowledge, hard work and leverage can bring you success no matter what situation you find yourself in. KEY TAKEAWAYS Fi firstly thanks the great mentorship she has received from Rob and Mark, they have really helped her accelerate her success and given her the tools to accelerate her growth and success in the property world.
Fi managed to secure these 26 properties by knowing what she wanted and then going out and getting it! She did loads of viewings, offers and finance. She then found after some time people were coming to her with offers due to her background and reputation.
Buying a housing portfolio means you can achieve more in just one acquisition, you don’t have to buy each property one by one.
Acquiring these 26 properties was not without its challenges, especially in the first lockdown when Fi was anxious about her family as well as her tenants and was juggling so many different things, it was a very uncertain time for all. Despite this, Fi believes you need to be grateful for what you do have and ask for help, she is very thankful for the support she received, from her family and from her mentors Rob and Mark.
Those further ahead in the journey than you can give you valuable advice. Fi knew when she left school that she wanted to be in property, she self-taught her all of the things she needed to get started on the journey to financial freedom. She then got to a point after having her daughter where she knew she wanted to grow and wanted to do it faster and more effectively. She needed some advice and support to take the next step and this is where Progressive Property came in.
Fi and her sisters work together in property, they are sisters, best friends and business partners. Fi taught her sister how to become financially free like her and they make an incredible team. BEST MOMENTS “We just went for it, we just thought come on we can do this, really have the belief we can do this and we were so grateful for the opportunity” “We used some of our own money, our own properties, a bit of investor money so we got it from here and there in a few ways” “Do the things you love to do and be so grateful for the help you’ve got” “I’ve invested in me which has paid back 50 times already in one year” “Go for anything that makes you happy” VALUABLE RESOURCES https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk ABOUT THE HOST Kevin McDonnell is a Speaker, Author, Mentor & Professional Property Investor. He is an expert when it comes to creative property investment strategies. His book No Money Down: Property Invest talks about how to control and cash flow other people’s property to create financial freedom. CONTACT METHOD https://www.facebook.com/kevinMcDonnellProperty/ https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk/progressive, property, investing, rent, housing, buy to lets, serviced accomodation, block, auction, home, financial freedom, recurring income, tax, mortgage, assets: http://progressiveproperty.co.uk/

May 17, 2021 • 40min
Should I Buy up North? Property Tax Explained | Property Investing Open Q&A
Are you looking for some more information on the property industry and how you can become a successful property investor? Join property investment expert Kevin as he answers all your property dilemmas. Discover the importance of protecting your money, why your most valuable asset is your knowledge and the benefits of having a private investor. KEY TAKEAWAYS If you are in an area outside of ‘Article 4’ then a property with 5 or more people requires you to have an HMO licence but if it is a house with 4 people, then it is classed as an unlicensed HMO. However, whilst it might not be required to be registered, you have got a duty of care to your tenants. You need to make sure that you keep your tenants safe by ensuring that the property has all the correct safety regulations. It is so important when lending money that you are careful around making sure you have security around protecting your money. If you are borrowing money, it is easier to borrow all the money you need rather than a little bit of what you need. Do not pedestalize your money, pedestalize your knowledge. Wealthy people spend their money trying to save time whilst poor people pedestalize the money. The most valuable asset you have is your knowledge and your time. Many private investors will lend you 100% of the value of the property. They lend this money as a ‘first charge’ for security. This means that you have to pay back the investor otherwise they are able to take possession of the house, in the same way that a mortgage company can take away the house if you fail to pay the mortgage. A private investor will loan you the full amount for the property and you will then refurbish the property and refinance the property under a traditional buy to let mortgage. You will then pay the investor back along with their interest and you can continue with the buy to let. If you purchase a property in your own name, you will have to wait 6 months before you can refinance the property even if you are a cash buyer. If you buy a property within a LTD company you do not need to wait 6 months to refinance the property so long as you buy in cash. There are a lot of lenders out there that will lend to companies with SPV’s. BEST MOMENTS “It is dangerous to listen to people who do not know what they’re doing.” “ This is why it is so important to get educated.” “They want to make sure that they get that deal done.” “Wealthy people spend their money trying to save time.” “Property investors are not with high street banks.” VALUABLE RESOURCES https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk ABOUT THE HOST Kevin McDonnell is a Speaker, Author, Mentor & Professional Property Investor. He is an expert when it comes to creative property investment strategies. His book No Money Down: Property Invest talks about how to control and cash flow other people’s property to create financial freedom. CONTACT METHOD https://www.facebook.com/kevinMcDonnellProperty/ https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk/ progressive, property, investing, rent, housing, buy to lets, serviced accomodation, block, auction, home, financial freedom, recurring income, tax, mortgage, assets: http://progressiveproperty.co.uk/

May 10, 2021 • 24min
How I Started My Service Accommodation Property Business
Today Kevin has two very special guests, Vito and Daniella a father and daughter duo, who reveal all about their property journey! They talk about how they got started, especially the value they found from attending Progressive courses and being mentored. They also discuss mindset, the tips that worked for them, the great success they have already had and their big plans for the future. KEY TAKEAWAYS Vito was an estate agent for 25 years including having his own practice for 17 of those them. He sold his business and after attending his first progressive course decided to start his own property business. Daniella has a background in the hospitality industry which she then decided to use alongside her Dad Vito’s expertise to form a super family duo in the property world!
Having such an extensive background in the estate agency world, Vito expected to really know all about property. But after attending a progressive event in 2020 he was amazed at the things he learnt, it truly opened his mind and kick started his next steps, including further courses and mentoring with the progressive family.
Vito and Daniella discussed various property strategies and decided to go down the serviced accommodation route. Daniella had a wealth of experience so although she was hesitant at first, she ultimately decided to utilise her knowledge and agreed on this way forward with her Dad Vito.
When speaking to agents, be yourself, tell them what your goals are and be transparent. Let them understand what you are trying to achieve and the deals will come. You will get no’s, but you only need a few yes’s for success!
As with any business, working relationships are key. Always bear this in mind when speaking to people for the first time. Even if you don’t strike a deal the first time, they might have what you are looking for down the line. You want to be the first person in their mind when they see something that would work for you.
The business is already in profit, how many other business ventures would you expect to be making a profit so early on in the journey? It’s incredible.
Vito and Daniella are now focusing on serviced accommodation management, finding investors and growing as much as they can. They have big plans for the future including bringing in aspects from the hotel industry into SA accommodation, such as loyalty schemes.
Vito says one of his biggest challenges before starting this venture was mindset, this as well as the vast knowledge and education he got from attending progressive courses and being mentored was invaluable. He attributes a lot of his success down to working with progressive. BEST MOMENTS “I was always on the other side” “The stars aligned and we decided to work together” “Every mentor we spoke to said you’ve got the education but you have to take the actions” “You really have to push yourself” “We couldn’t have started what we have without progressive” VALUABLE RESOURCES https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk ABOUT THE HOST Kevin McDonnell is a Speaker, Author, Mentor & Professional Property Investor. He is an expert when it comes to creative property investment strategies. His book No Money Down: Property Invest talks about how to control and cash flow other people’s property to create financial freedom. CONTACT METHOD https://www.facebook.com/kevinMcDonnellProperty/ https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk/progressive, property, investing, rent, housing, buy to lets, serviced accomodation, block, auction, home, financial freedom, recurring income, tax, mortgage, assets: http://progressiveproperty.co.uk/

May 3, 2021 • 26min
My Worst Ever Property Deal!
If you’re looking to get your property questions answered, then you have come to the right place. Join property expert Kevin as he answers all your burning questions and offers invaluable property information to those of you that need it. Today, Kevin discusses what to look for in a property, how to make property work in your local area and how to legally reduce your tax bill. KEY TAKEAWAYS Everyone wants to invest somewhere else, they all believe that the grass is greener somewhere else. The reality is that property works where you are. Single let or buy to let may not work but there are strategies that will. As property investors you are looking for value. There are strategies that work in every area. If you are in an area where there are only expensive properties, don’t panic as this usually means that the rental value of the room or property is higher. Professional property investors possess the ability to make money in any market. The market may be going up, staying the same or going down and professionals will still be able to make money because they are buying value. Property is a business and the bigger the business, the higher the tax bill. Do not worry about large tax bills as long as you have large profits too. When you are making money you need to contact a tax specialist who can help you reduce your tax bill in a legal way. There are many things you can offset as tax that you do not yet realise. If you are running properties as serviced accommodation, section 24 does not apply to you. Meaning you can offset part of your mortgage as well as also applying for ‘capital allowances’. Capital allowances is tax free money up to a certain amount of the property value. BEST MOMENTS “Cheap does not necessarily mean valuable, cheap means cheap.” “A phenomenal strategy in an expensive area.” “It is about understanding business and property is a business.” “If I am paying £1million a year tax, then how much money am I making?” VALUABLE RESOURCES https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk ABOUT THE HOST Kevin McDonnell is a Speaker, Author, Mentor & Professional Property Investor. He is an expert when it comes to creative property investment strategies. His book No Money Down: Property Invest talks about how to control and cash flow other people’s property to create financial freedom. CONTACT METHOD https://www.facebook.com/kevinMcDonnellProperty/ https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk/progressive, property, investing, rent, housing, buy to lets, serviced accomodation, block, auction, home, financial freedom, recurring income, tax, mortgage, assets: http://progressiveproperty.co.uk/

Apr 26, 2021 • 26min
How We Became Property Developers
The property industry is booming and there has never been a better time to invest than now. Kevin is joined by Mary and Andrew who share their story of how they managed to build up a hugely successful property business whilst working their full time jobs as Architects. Together they discuss how to handle your first deal, how anyone with a full time job can build their property business if they learn how to maximise their time and why networking events are vital to building your property business. KEY TAKEAWAYS Rent to serviced accommodation is where you take control of somebody else's property and you give them either a guaranteed rent or a profit share on that yield. You then run the property on either a HMO (House of multiple occupancy) basis, single let basis or a single let basis. The first deal is going to be the hardest one you will ever have to do. You have to be on point. It may take a lot of perseverance to secure your first deal. As soon as you get your first deal you may even find that the other deals come rolling in. You have to open the door and as soon as you open that door, you become more confident about selling yourself and your brand. Anyone with a full time job can absolutely get into property at the same time. There has to be some understanding that it may not be as quick as if you were full time into property. All you should focus on is doing one thing everyday that moves the business forward. As long as you have done that you are a step further ahead than you were before. Getting into property whilst maintaining a full time job does not mean that you have to put in copious amounts of hours every day. Learn how to maximise your time, perhaps by focusing on your property business in your lunch break or maybe being more effective in your day job so that you can free up more time to visit estate agents or push your property business forward. Property is not easy and there is a lot to learn and a lot to systemise. Start to systematise a lot of what you do look into hiring a VA who can do a lot of your day to day admin or property management work. Try to ensure that your key focus is on things that only you can do that you can do in your spare time. Quite often it is the people you meet that are the most important. Never underestimate who you meet or where you meet them. Sometimes relationships take time to build throughout your property career you should continue to make new relationships and grow them. BEST MOMENTS “It took a lot of perseverance.” “You’ve got to believe in yourself.” “It is not about slogging five hours every night, it is about finding that one thing you can do and maximising your time.” “We knew that there is always a different way and if you are confident enough you can go and do something else.” VALUABLE RESOURCES https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk ABOUT THE HOST Kevin McDonnell is a Speaker, Author, Mentor & Professional Property Investor. He is an expert when it comes to creative property investment strategies. His book No Money Down: Property Invest talks about how to control and cash flow other people’s property to create financial freedom. CONTACT METHOD https://www.facebook.com/kevinMcDonnellProperty/ https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk/progressive, property, investing, rent, housing, buy to lets, serviced accomodation, block, auction, home, financial freedom, recurring income, tax, mortgage, assets: http://progressiveproperty.co.uk/

Apr 19, 2021 • 36min
Rob Moore: How to Raise Money For Property Investments
Are you looking for a joint venture partner but don’t know where to start? Join Rob as he delivers his 7 step tried and tested model for raising finance and finding JV partners. Rob discusses where you need to go in order to network and meet possible JV partners, why it is imperative that you always believe in yourself and the difference between fair and unfair exchange. KEY TAKEAWAYS The better the deal, the more likely it is that the money will find its way to you. You need to go to the places where the money is. You have to go where the money is and go to the high end venues. This step is a continual thing, Connect with people and get their contact information. A big mistake people often make is by pitching people straight away, that is a mistake (unless it is a pitch environment). The goal is always to connect with someone because you want to build a relationship with someone outside of the environment that you met them. If you don’t believe in yourself why should anyone else? There are two ways to get belief in yourself: Experience and your self belief. Even though you may have some reservations about things going wrong, always know that if this happens, you will do your best to fix it. As long as you know that about yourself, you can go in and get a deal done. Fair exchange is the balance between fair service and fair profit, it is the balance between the fair division of roles and responsibility, If you charge too much and deliver too little that is unfair exchange. If you have ever felt that people have been taking too much from you for what you are being paid, that is an unfair exchange and the way to get rid of that emotion is to charge more. The way you should always try and get to the discussion about money and potential deals is to get them to make the first move. It may be a little bit of ‘financial flirting’ by trying to talk about potential deals you have lined up. Try your best not to go in and instantly talk about business, try to make them come to you. Usually you can gently move the conversation towards property and business in order for them to make a move. BEST MOMENTS “Nobody wants to be pitched to at a golf club or a flying club, that is where you meet them.” “Whatever you think he saw in me, you have in you.” “The biggest barrier is believing you can do it.” VALUABLE RESOURCES https://robmoore.com/ bit.ly/Robsupporter https://robmoore.com/podbooks ABOUT THE HOST Rob Moore is an author of 9 business books, 5 UK bestsellers, holds 3 world records for public speaking, entrepreneur, property investor, and property educator. Author of the global bestseller “Life Leverage” Host of UK’s No.1 business podcast “The Disruptive Entrepreneur” “If you don't risk anything, you risk everything” CONTACT METHOD Rob’s official website: https://robmoore.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robmooreprogressive/?ref=br_rs LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/robmoore1979progressive, property, investing, rent, housing, buy to lets, serviced accomodation, block, auction, home, financial freedom, recurring income, tax, mortgage, assets: http://progressiveproperty.co.uk/

Apr 12, 2021 • 21min
How I Became a HMO Property Investor
The property industry is booming in the UK and there is no better time to start investing than today. Kevin is joined by yet another one of Progressive Property’s success stories Sam, who has gone from strength to strength in the HMO area of property investing. Together they discuss finding the right refurb team, investment opportunities and why investing on your doorstep is beneficial. KEY TAKEAWAYS If you are starting out in property and looking to create a reliable refurb team, a great tip would is to always ensure you are open and honest with people. If you do not like something, don’t be afraid to say. When you are starting a refurb always make sure you get some good quotes from experts, don’t go for the cheapest. You need to find a professional building company rather than a ‘cash in hand’ or ‘day rate’ kind of builder. Whilst they may initially seem cheaper you may find that the invoices keep appearing and the costs begin to add up. There seems to be a really good scope in turning properties further away from town into HMO’s, tenant the properties and then selling them on. There are quite a lot of out of town investors paying top end prices for tenanted properties. People seem to be paying over the odds for student properties close to university campus’. The issue with student properties is that they have to be ready by January as this is when term time begins. There is always a property technique that will work on your doorstep, whether that be student accomoddation/HMO’s, flipping properties or rent to rent. It is highly recommended to invest close to home as it makes it easier and quicker for you to attend to the property whenever you need to do so. BEST MOMENTS “If it smells bad, that's the smell of cash.” “Work with good builders, clear prices and clear structure.” “I’d rather do something on my doorstep.” VALUABLE RESOURCES https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk ABOUT THE HOST Kevin McDonnell is a Speaker, Author, Mentor & Professional Property Investor. He is an expert when it comes to creative property investment strategies. His book No Money Down: Property Invest talks about how to control and cash flow other people’s property to create financial freedom. CONTACT METHOD https://www.facebook.com/kevinMcDonnellProperty/ https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk/ progressive, property, investing, rent, housing, buy to lets, serviced accomodation, block, auction, home, financial freedom, recurring income, tax, mortgage, assets: http://progressiveproperty.co.uk/


