The Property Podcast

The Robs have another special guest this week. This time it’s billionaire investor Stephen Schwarzman. Sadly, he’s too much of a big wig to actually be on the show so The Robs are going to be picking apart his book instead. You might never have heard of Stephen Schwarzman before, but after this podcast episode it’s certain to be a name you’ll remember.  After reading his book, Rob & Rob found that there are seven lessons that we can all learn from him.  Now, you might be thinking ‘how can I possibly relate to a billionaire investor when I’m just starting out?’ Well don’t worry, we promise that these seven lessons will be invaluable to you no matter what stage of your property journey you’re at. Here’s the seven lessons Stephen will be sharing with us: Failure is the best teacher in an organization The best executives are made, not born Identify problems and bring solutions How to raise money It's the same effort to work on a big thing as a small thing Group decision making Building a team of 10s There’s plenty to learn from today’s episode and it’s even a learning curve for Rob & Rob, so hopefully there will be a number of takeaways for you too.    In the news this week we’ve got a big headline for you, ‘PM pledges biggest planning shake-up since WW2’. Like usual, it’s a headline that’s been blown out of proportion, however if you are a developer or you build properties then this could be good news for you.  According to this article from Mortgage Strategy there are now going to be more things that you can do without having to acquire planning permission. Included in it are converting commercial premises to residential, demolishing an old home to replace it with a new one and if you want to extend or add floors there’s going to be a fast track method for that. So again not quite as drastic but certainly good news for some.    Naturally this week’s Hub Extra is the book that we’ve just dedicated this podcast episode to, What it Takes by Stephen Schwarzman. If you have any interest in business or investing then this is a book that you’ll enjoy, and there’s plenty more lessons that you’ll learn from it.   We’d love to hear what you think of this week’s Property Podcast over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a topic you’d like us to cover in the future - if so, pop us a message on social and we’ll see what we can do. Make sure you’ve liked and subscribed to our YouTube channel where we upload new content every week!  If that wasn’t enough, you can also join our friendly property community on the Property Hub forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Tuesday and Rob & Rob are back again to answer more of your questions. First up we have a question from Lauren. She’s a 23 year old graduate who is looking to get into property investment for the first time. At the moment Lauren is fully educating herself before she gets stuck in - good shout, Lauren! Her aim is to achieve capital growth as the market recovers from the coronavirus, with the aim of her and her brother affording deposits for their first personal houses in seven years time. Lauren currently has £126,000 and location-wise she’s looking at Birmingham for the capital growth prospects. So now she has two questions that she needs a bit of guidance on.  Should she purchase two more expensive properties with around a £50,000 deposit each, or should she choose quantity over quality and go for cheaper properties? She’d also like to know if she should buy these properties in one place or spread them out across the country? So, is it better to have more properties in your portfolio or have less of them but of a higher, more expensive quality?  Next we have Tom from Stanford who has a rather interesting question.  He says that just south of him is Peterborough where there are some cheap properties, although they are situated in less than prime areas. He’s noticed that the local council are advertising to take on private properties for a fixed 3-5 year income.  So Tom is now wondering if this is a viable option to gain a guaranteed income for at least three years and a long-term tenant? Do Rob & Rob think this would be a good strategy to sub-let to the council? Tune in to find out.    Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).  Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Property Podcast, The Robs are joined by special guest, Chris Ryder, who is a serviced accommodation expert.  Serviced accommodation has been an ever-developing strategy for a number of property investors over the years and it’s becoming increasingly popular.  But a twist of events this year (we’re talking about you, coronavirus!) has seen investors struggle to get tenants through the door of their serviced accommodation. Some unlucky investors are looking at at least 3 months of no rental income up to now! So today we have serviced accommodation expert, Chris Ryder, dropping the truth bombs on what’s happening in the (slightly battered) sector at the minute.  If you were to believe the media, you’d have seen many investors pivoting away from short term lets towards long-term during the pandemic, in a bid to avoid lengthy void periods. But interestingly, Chris hasn’t had to do that. It’s actually quite amazing how quickly he adapted his business model to make the best out of a bad situation. If you’re thinking of going down the serviced accommodation route, you’ll certainly want to listen to this episode first and note down all the tips Chris has to offer.   For our news story this week we’re sharing the latest HomeTrack report. We know our listeners enjoy hearing the latest updates on where’s performing well and where isn’t. We know you’re also all dying to know if The Robs were right about their predictions at the start of the year. It’s interesting to look at the data from the last three months. According to the report, house price growth is up 2.4% compared to last year - which has climbed even higher over the last month. Incredible for what’s currently going on across the world.   This week’s Hub Extra is something that Rob B has been using against his son to beat him at chess! It’s a website called chess.com and it’s a great tool for improving your logic and your chess skills.  There’s lessons on there if you’re a complete beginner and want to learn how to play and there’s sections where you can work on your strategy. Then you can play a game against a random person that the system matches you to based on your ability and put it all to the test.   We’d love to hear what you think of this week’s Property Podcast over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a topic you’d like us to cover in the future - if so, pop us a message on social and we’ll see what we can do.   Make sure you’ve liked and subscribed to our YouTube channel where we upload new content every week!  If that wasn’t enough, you can also join our friendly property community on the Property Hub forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, the guys are answering two more great questions and also taking a look into the current investing habits of Warren Buffet. Our first caller this week is Matthew, he has £100,000 saved up in the bank and he’s wanting to get into property.  He’s looking for a property to buy for around £250,000 (hopefully less), and he’d like to buy one that he can live in and let out.  So he’s wondering if The Robs think now is a good time to buy a personal house, or should he hold off for a bit?  Next up we’ve got Jay who’s got a question about the stock market.  He’s been keeping an eye on it and has seen some slow incremental rises in the stock markets as a whole.  So rather than questioning if he should be investing in property, Jay wants to know if Rob & Rob think he should invest in the stock market or is there potential for them to drop again in the next few weeks? The Robs love discussing the stock market, even more so at the minute when many other people are interested in it. But do they think Jay should be investing now or should he hold off? Tune in to find out.   Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).                        Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the second episode in our two-part series on the important topic of inflation and deflation. Last week in the first episode Rob & Rob looked at how inflation and deflation impacts you as an investor. So this week they’re going to look at those impacts and see what it means for the future.  It’s another episode where Rob & Rob are being bold, so hold onto your hats for this one. And it turns out, at the time of recording these episodes, The Robs were also predicting the future.  They talk about quantitative easing and said they wouldn’t be surprised if the Bank of England would pump more money into the economy. And low and behold, a recent news story appears ‘Coronavirus: Bank pumps £100bn into UK economy to aid recovery’.  Even before this announcement, the amount of money that has already been pumped into the economy this year alone is more than the financial crash back in 2008! Which means the information from this episode has just become even more important than ever! Last week The Robs demonstrated why inflation is good for investors and how deflation could be damaging. So there’s one question we now need to ask: Are we currently heading towards a period of inflation or deflation? Tune into this jam packed episode to find out.   This week we’ve got a couple of news stories for you, the first coming from The Times and the headline reads ‘tougher times for buy-to-let landlords’. The article is stating that Barclays have said they’re going to stop giving mortgages to landlords who buy through limited companies, which seems crazy since all other big lenders seem to be getting back on track with mortgages.  But that wasn’t the most shocking news to Rob B - he didn’t even realise that Barclays did buy-to-let mortgages, but that’s probably down to the fact that they only offer 65% LTV on an interest only basis. So this probably won’t have too big of an impact on investors.  The second news story is ‘court of appeal sides with landlords in landmark case ruling’ and it’s in line with Section 21, when you want to end a tenancy without your tenants having done anything wrong.  In previous times, to evict a tenant you had to provide them with a gas safety certificate before they moved in. If you didn’t you could never use Section 21. Now, things have changed - find out why by listening to today’s episode.    For Hub Extra this week we’ve got a few resources that Rob & Rob used to help them put together these episodes, and they’re likely to help you in your understanding of everything that’s been covered over the past two weeks.  So, we have:  A lengthy article that isn’t as daunting as it looks A podcast on inflation and deflation Another podcast A YouTube video from the Bank of England on quantitative easing Hopefully these will help you in your continued learning.   We’d love to hear what you think of this week’s Property Podcast over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a topic you’d like us to cover in the future - if so, pop us a message on social and we’ll see what we can do. Make sure you’ve liked and subscribed to our YouTube channel where we upload new content every week!  If that wasn’t enough, you can also join our friendly property community on the Property Hub forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Tuesday! We’re back with another Ask Rob & Rob.  First up this week is Jonathan who recently got married (congratulations!).  His wife had purchased a property a few years ago but unfortunately it’s now worth 10% less than what she bought it for.  But she does have 50% equity tied up in it. So here’s the big question: Should they sell the property at a 10% loss and purchase their ideal property, or do they release some of the equity and then rent it out?  Which is going to be the more profitable option for Jonathan and his wife?  Our second caller is Serena. She has £100,000 to invest and knows that a vanilla buy-to-let is probably the best strategy for her. She doesn’t want to commit a lot of time and her goal is to have a decent income stream so she’s got pretty much everything sorted.  But what she isn’t sure on is the location and the type of property she should be investing in.  At the minute Serena is wondering if she should buy one, or a couple of new build flats in either Leeds or Manchester city centre - if she can stretch that far. But she’s concerned the service charge is going to be astronomical on these kinds of properties.  So, should Jonathan sell or keep his property and does Serena need to be worried about service charge?  Tune in to find out what advice The Robs have for them.   Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).  Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Property Podcast, it’s the first of a two part special on the important topics of inflation and deflation. These are two things that every property investor should know and understand. Why?  Because they’ll both impact you massively.  Most people don’t understand the basics - and that’s what Rob & Rob are fixing right now with today’s episode.  Are we heading into a period of inflation or deflation? That’s a question that you should be asking yourself at the minute.  First, you need to go back to basics and understand exactly what inflation and deflation are. So in this week’s episode you can expect to learn: What is inflation? Why investors like it Why do we need inflation? How inflation works What causes deflation? The difference between good and bad deflation If you’d like to learn more about inflation, you can go back and listen to this podcast episode and you can take this course over on the Property Hub University. Be sure to tune in next week as The Robs are going to be taking a look at the last 10 years since the financial crash, what’s happened since then, what’s likely to happen in the future, and what that'll mean for you.  You’re not going to want to miss it.    In the news this week, we’ve got some interesting data from Hometrack. Their usual report focuses on the main 20 cities across the country, but once or twice a year they take a look at all 65 cities they gather data on. It’s a PDF document so while it’s difficult to share, Rob & Rob delve into the findings on today’s episode.  One interesting finding was that areas in the south (that had previously performed strongly) are starting to struggle; like Milton Keynes, Southampton, Luton and Reading. Rob D is putting it down to a reverse ripple effect from London. The biggest surprise was the town that’s seen the biggest growth in the last 12 months which was Rochdale, growing by 4.8% - phenomenal! Other areas performing well are Birkenhead, just outside of Liverpool, Bolton and Mansfield. Some areas you might not have considered before.    We’d love to hear what you think of this week’s Property Podcast over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a topic you’d like us to cover in the future - if so, pop us a message on social and we’ll see what we can do. Make sure you’ve liked and subscribed to our YouTube channel where we upload new content every week!  If that wasn’t enough, you can also join our friendly property community on the Property Hub forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Tuesday! We’re back with another Ask Rob & Rob.  First up we’ve got Jess who’s got a question about inheritance tax. Her parents have around £200,000 tied up in their home with no mortgage, and she’s been trying to figure out a way to make sure funds/assets are protected should the inevitable happen. They want to avoid the pitfalls of the dreaded inheritance tax! Is property the right way to go? Are there any resources Jess should be aware of? Of course, Rob & Rob aren’t accountants or tax advisers however, Rob D had some insights to share which Jess should find comforting. Only 4% of people who died last year paid inheritance tax - so should Jess be worrying? And what can Jess’ parents do now to minimise any issues Jess might face further down the line? Listen to find out.  Our second question is from Stuart who wants to talk about The Robs’ business relationship. He wants to know how Rob & Rob met and how they decided to go into partnership all those years ago.  Tune in to find out how another podcast (we know!) brought them both together and how their ‘founders quiz’ cemented their partnership.  Rob D also has some tips on getting to know your partner slowly rather than marrying them at first sight!  Have a listen and let us know what you thought of today’s Ask Rob & Rob. Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).    Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Property Podcast, Rob B wants to know why Rob D decided to invest in property… in the middle of a world-wide pandemic!  Some of our most popular podcast episodes are the ones where Rob & Rob delve into their personal investment strategies, so when Rob D unveiled his latest property purchase, we had to capture this for the podcast.  So, what type of property did Rob D invest in, and where was it? We’ll give you a clue: we recently launched a Property Hub Invest deal in Nottingham and as this was Rob D’s old stomping ground… he might have just bagged one for himself! The deal was so good, it was gone in less than 60 seconds!  We know you love a good honest chat with The Robs, and you won’t get more personal than this one.  Tune in to listen, and find out why this deal was too good for Rob D to turn down….even during a pandemic!   This week’s news story comes from Landlord Today and the headline is, ‘renters will feel more secure following extension of the tenant eviction ban’. The eviction ban was something that came into place at the beginning of Covid-19 to protect tenants. It was due to end on the 25th June but it’s now been extended for a few more months. It’s a tough situation, most landlords are fine with it and can understand the reasoning behind it, but others are struggling with tenants who are causing all kinds of issues, and there’s nothing they can do about it. Hopefully it will come to an end on the new proposed date of 23rd August.   For Hub Extra this week we’ve got a quote from Warren Buffett. His most popular quote is ‘be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful’. But another one of our favourites is ‘only buy something that you’d be perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down for 10 years’. It’s the perfect quote for this episode and one that we think most investors should live by.    We’d love to hear what you think of this week’s Property Podcast over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a topic you’d like us to cover in the future - if so, pop us a message on social and we’ll see what we can do. Make sure you’ve liked and subscribed to our YouTube channel where we upload new content every week!  If that wasn’t enough, you can also join our friendly property community on the Property Hub forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve got two great questions for you on Ask Rob & Rob this week.  Our first caller is a first time buyer. He wants to know whether he should buy his first home to live in or invest in a buy-to-let property. He also wants to know if there would be any ramifications if he purchased a buy-to-let property before his own residential home.  Rob D takes the lead on this one as the answer will purely depend on personal situation. The Robs always tell investors to take the emotion out of property when investing, but is Rob D going against his own advice here? Our second question is from Jess who wants to know what’s wrong with Leicester. She thinks prices don’t do very well here and wants to know why there’s never any growth.  Rob B has a look and finds that Leicester prices are actually up 47% over the last decade - it’s outperformed the likes of Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham. Yes it’s average performance - but he delves into why in today’s Ask Rob & Rob.  Does this highlight the need for us to understand market performance rather than just analyse house prices? We think so! Have a listen and let us know what you thought of today’s Ask Rob & Rob. Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).  Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.