If you want to invest in property, but just don’t know where to start – you’re not alone. Most of my clients don’t know the ins and the outs of the property industry, making it hard to know where to even begin when it comes to buying an investment property. On top of this, many of my clients are time-poor, which can make the whole process seem even more overwhelming. 

I deal with all types of people, from different backgrounds, a wide range of jobs, and income levels, and they all have a common goal – financial freedom, financial security, and taking care of their families. 

I relate to my clients because I’ve been through it all and I know what it takes to say, “yes I want to go ahead with investing”. One of the things I pride myself on is making sure that, once my clients have decided to invest, they secure good assets that will set them on the right track to financial success. I want to be able to sleep at night knowing that their properties are being built by the same trusted people who built the properties I own, and I want my clients to come back to me over and over to add more properties to their portfolios. 

If you want to secure your financial future and you want to find out more about investing property, I can guide you through every step of the process. To get things started and give you something to think about, I’m sharing the three biggest mistakes I see from people new to investing in property. 

Mistake 1: Not wanting to make a decision

If you jump online, you’ll quickly find countless options for investing in property – from buying overseas or investing in shares in apartments to commercial or industrial opportunities – where do you even begin? Even if you know you want to invest in residential property, the options still range from apartments to townhouses and free-standing homes, new builds, off-the-plan, and established houses. It’s enough to make your head spin. 

The first time I bought an investment property it was stressful and overwhelming – and that’s coming from someone who is in the industry! I had the benefit of a background in property, I knew how things worked, what to do, what to avoid, and what to look out for, and even so, I still found it stressful. Waiting to see if I’d been approved for a loan, negotiating prices, signing contracts – there’s a lot that goes into buying an investment property and it can be hard to navigate. 

Because of this – the stress, lack of understanding about how to get started, and need for support to make the right decision – many people miss out on good investment opportunities because of inaction. 

I always say to myself, and my clients, “if you don’t act you’ll always be in the same place you’re currently at”. If you want to make a change, if you want to invest and make positive moves for your future, you have to make decisions and do something different. 

The decisions you make about investing will affect how you and your family live for the next 20 to 50 years, they’ll affect your children and possibly even their children. They’re not easy decisions, they involve a lot of money and trust – but they are decisions that need to be made if you want to get ahead. 

Inaction will always prevent you from succeeding in real estate. You need to be able to say yes to start the process, yes to the right opportunity when it arises, and yes to following the steps I outline to make the process straightforward and successful. 

The good news is, it’s easy to overcome inaction with the right information. Once clients start working with me, and I outline the steps they need to take, the people they need to work with, and what the entire process will look like, it becomes much easier to make decisions and go all in. I can let you know upfront what to expect, how long things will take, and potential problems we might come across – I’ve done this thousands of times and together with my networks, can support you through every step. 

By taking the unknowns out of the equation, I give you the knowledge and the confidence to make decisions about your future. 

Mistake 2: Staying in your comfort zone 

Now you’ve decided to take action and invest, you’ll need to think about where you want to buy. One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a property investor is to stay within your comfort zone when it comes to choosing a property. 

It’s human nature to want to stick to what’s familiar, but if there’s ever a time to step outside the box, it’s when you’re investing in real estate. 

Here’s a scenario I see all the time: you live in suburban Sydney and drive through the same streets every day, so when you see a house for sale just around the corner, you think it will make a good investment. After all, you know that your own home has gone up in value over the last few years, and you know this part of the city. You like the idea of being able to see your investment property, of driving past it, and keeping an eye on things – so you buy it. But the thing about buying based on comfort is that you’re not looking at the market, at areas that are going to perform well, at whether the property will appeal to tenants. You’re buying based on emotion, and not on the recommendations of an experienced property specialist who has done all the research for you. 

In short, it can be a big mistake to buy somewhere purely because you’re familiar with it, especially if you don’t live in a good investment area. If you’ve been considering buying close to where you live, I would advise you to think outside the box and pick a well-research real estate opportunity – if you don’t, you might be making a big mistake. 

Mistake 3: Trying to do it all yourself 

Once you’ve committed to making a decision and looked for the best opportunity, even if it’s outside your comfort zone, there are a lot of moving parts to consider when it comes to investing. It is, of course, possible to do it all yourself, if you have the time – but if you don’t get your research right, if you don’t have access to the best opportunities, and you don’t have the industry knowledge to make it a smooth experience, trying to manage it all can be a big mistake. 

The biggest benefit of working with me is that I manage the entire process. 

I’ve talked before about what the process of working with me looks like, but one thing I haven’t touched on is the advantage of having a good relationship with builders and developers that you just won’t get if you try to do it all yourself. 

There can be a lot of challenges during the building process; I manage them all for my clients. And I can do this because of the long-standing relationships I have with builders and developers. I’m not just Joe Blow coming in off the street for a once-off transaction and then never speaking to them again; I work with these builders and developers over and over, and they know the standards I require to keep returning. 

If you work with me, you’ll be like a VIP to my builders, and you’ll have me to take care of any issues that come up. 

I’m forward and upfront about what I expect from my builders and developers, and how I want my clients to be treated. If I can save you a week in interest payments, or a week of construction time, I’ll always go the extra mile to get it done for you. 

If you try to do it all yourself, you’ll be missing out on my experience and networks, and the support I can provide to ensure you get the very best every step of the way. 

If you want to make sure to avoid these potential mistakes, give me a call and I can guide you through the entire property investment process.