Rob joins Mark in this episode to have an open and frank Q&A all about business. They discuss why stress is important to be successful, how you can market effectively as well as the people they look up to in business and much more! KEY TAKEAWAYS  Your business only grows as well as you do, how you deal with challenges, stress and pressure make a big difference. Business is a series of dealing with problems and fixing them. Looking after yourself physically and mentally allows you to perform better in your business. Remove any stress that you can and become single-minded when working. There is negative and positive stress and you can change a stress simply by your perception and mindset. Anyone who can deal with stress positively will become successful. Rob and Mark both believe that they balance each other out and neither would be as successful without the other. They are as close as you can get to the perfect business partnership. Always make sure you know where you are spending your marketing money and where you are getting successful leads. Then ensure you take these leads through a buying cycle and track this too. It’s important to know where to focus your energy in business, especially when opportunities arise. Mark and Rob have found it better to focus on industries they have passion and knowledge for. With the economic difficulties, the UK is facing right now there will be opportunities. If we learn from ’08 then people will be accepting less risk and the biggest opportunities will be in around 18 months or so. BEST MOMENTS   “80% of what people try and get you to do in your day is nonsense” “The day before holiday everybody gets 2 weeks of work done…that’s positive stress” “I think it’s good to focus on a couple of businesses and focus on them” “Doing something that you’re passionate about and that you enjoy it, makes you good at it” “I love all this because you can get in, get a lot more assets with a lot less money and less risk” “You only get these opportunities a few times in your life” VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/ ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties. CONTACT METHOD   Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng delivers talks about his 49 days in the Treasury in this interview with Mark. He discusses why the UK is trapped in a doom loop of high taxes and low growth, shares his thoughts on Brexit's benefits and explains why panic killed his economic reforms. He gives his thoughts on Trump's policies, Britain's energy crisis, and what it really takes to succeed in business and politics.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   Kwasi shares how a network of unelected civil servants and regulatory bodies has accumulated enormous power over the past 25 years, often working against elected government policies and maintaining the status quo regardless of which party is in power. The UK is trapped in a vicious cycle where high government spending forces higher taxes, which kills growth, leading to even higher taxes. The government now spends £1 trillion annually, all ultimately funded by the private sector. Kwasi admits three critical mistakes of the mini budget, moving too fast, cutting taxes without reducing spending and panicking when markets reacted negatively. The energy price intervention alone cost massive amounts in a brief discussion. Public sector spending cannot drive economic growth since it's funded by taxing the private sector. Real growth comes from encouraging entrepreneurship and commercial activity, not government investment. Brexit provides essential flexibility, despite implementation challenges, leaving the EU gives Britain the freedom to negotiate independent trade deals and avoid being bound by policies designed for 27 other countries with different economic needs. Net zero policies have made UK energy prices among the world's highest, killing industrial competitiveness. The windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas is particularly damaging to energy security and investment. Both in business and politics, success demands unwavering optimism and self-belief. Leaders must project confidence and energy, as people won't follow those who expect failure or constantly blame external factors.   BEST MOMENTS   "We went too far, too fast, and I think the worst thing you can do when things start going wrong... is when we started to panic." "I said to the officials, I said, look, we've gotta be able to take 50 billion out of the spending. If I said to anyone in this room, you've gotta reduce your spending by 5%... most people should be able to do that." "Our national debt in 2005... was 500 billion. 20 years ago it was 500 billion and now it's 2.7 trillion. It's completely nuts." "The private sector pays for the public sector... someone, ultimately, many people in this room, I imagine, has to pay for it." "If you don't believe in yourself, why should anyone else believe in you?"   VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/   ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.   CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark answers one of the most asked property questions, should you rent or should you buy? He talks about the considerations for both options and shares the financial implications and benefits of owning -vs- renting a property.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   If you want to buy then it needs to be for a period that is long enough to counteract the costs of buying, like stamp duty, legal fees and leaving costs, which is usually 3-5 years. If you are staying somewhere less than 3 years, then renting might be a better option financially. Buying benefits most in the long term. Inflation has the opposite effect on debt, so you can use this to your advantage and buy a house. There is security in owning a house, you aren’t at risk of eviction. BEST MOMENTS   "You need to look at if it’s going to benefit you over the long run”   “Over time, you will get capital growth”   “Inflation will erode that mortgage payment and the real value of that mortgage”   VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/   ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.   CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

In the first episode of the Property Ladder, Mark gives the 5 top reasons hotspots based on regeneration are nonsense. He shares why buying in regeneration areas could be a mistake and talks about what you should be focusing on as a property investor instead.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   You never know when regeneration is actually going to happen, even after it’s been announced. Regeneration doesn’t always increase demand. Once regeneration has been announced, it is very quickly baked into the price, so any capital growth that might be there has most likely already gone by the time you get to market Regeneration is a very easy sell to investors but it is forward priced and the developer and vendor are taking the capital gains from you. People focus on regeneration areas as they think it will go up in the medium to long term, but what they should be focusing on instead is those properties that are easy to rent and high yielding. There’s a lot of developing of houses and flats in regeneration areas because developers know they can sell a lot to naïve investors.   BEST MOMENTS   "You can’t be sure when regeneration happens what happens to capital growth” “If you buy new build property, you need to be very alive to the forward pricing concept in regeneration areas” “All you need to do is focus on the fundamentals, the boring stuff” "There's  often too much supply"   VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/   ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.   CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark gives his thoughts on Trump’s recent tariffs including why it’s both a confusing and a poor choice for the U.S. He shares the economic problems with what Trump has announced and predicts what will happen next.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Trump has announced tariffs on China and over 70 other allies, which makes little economic sense. The U.S are consumers rather than savers which is the core problem with these tariff announcements.  The tariffs may reduce imports but they are also likely to reduce economic growth.   BEST MOMENTS "The markets have been up and down like a whores drawers”  “The U.S does have a big current account deficit”  “There is a 60% chance of a U.S recession after this”   VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/   ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.   CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark gives his analysis of the UK's dire economic situation following the spring statement. Mark talks about the current national debt and reveals why we're caught in a dangerous doom loop of increased spending, higher taxes, and reduced growth. He dissects the chancellor's recent announcements, calling most of it "just noise" while highlighting the critical issues that politicians aren’t properly addressing.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   The UK's debt crisis has reached critical levels at approximately 100% of GDP (£2.65 trillion), with interest payments alone now costing taxpayers £105 billion annually which is nearly 10% of all government spending. Government spending is £1.27 trillion yearly (roughly 50% of all money generated in the economy), with welfare representing the largest portion at £313 billion, yet the chancellor's proposed cuts amount to less than 2% of this budget. The UK is caught in a doom loop where increased taxes to fund growing expenditure only reduces economic growth and productivity, ultimately generating less tax revenue and worsening the debt situation. The government is using inflation as a strategy to reduce the real value of the national debt, effectively devaluing the pound in everyone's pocket by approximately 3% annually. Public confidence in economic management is abysmal, with only 16% of voters believing the government is handling the economy well and just 11% viewing the chancellor's performance positively. Housing may be the one bright spot, with the OBR forecasting construction will reach a 40-year high of 305,000 homes annually by the end of the forecast period, approaching the government's promise of 1.5 million new homes.   BEST MOMENTS "Currently we're riding at about 100% of GDP, so the UK owes £2.65 trillion, or 96% to be precise, of the amount of money that flows around this economy every year, which is a huge amount of money."   "What they should have done was fix the roof when the sun was shining. But instead what they've done, they've increased welfare spending, they've increased spending on the NHS, which seems incredibly wasteful."   "We're in a doom loop. And it needs somebody to come along and take some very difficult decisions to fix that."   "It's going to take somebody, a Margaret Thatcher style character, I think, to come along and really get government spending in check because I just don't think Labor are going to do it."       VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/   ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.   CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

This is a revisit of a previous episode. Join Mark as he talks about how to build the power team you need for your business. Mark also talks about how to keep your team motivated and why it’s essential for the success of your business to work with a team. KEY TAKEAWAYS Working with property is a team sport, you can’t do everything yourself. Find the people who know more than you and work with them. Due diligence is essential in finding the right people for the jobs you need. There are a lot of specialists when working with property, especially if you are working in renovating or conversions. You want an expert with experience, someone who has verifiable skills in the exact job you want doing. Progressive Property Approved, is a list of approved specialists that have proven experience with progressive so you can feel confident you have the right person for the job. Mentorship is essential for building you and your power team, allowing you to continue to learn from those who have been where you are. BEST MOMENTS  "I’m a bit of a conductor, trying to find the right person for each job that I need doing”  “You cannot know even a tiny percentage of what goes on in the property market” “I've kissed so many frogs, picked so called experts, picked the wrong ones for the wrong jobs" VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/ ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties. CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark and Jonathan Collins continue their conversation into the intricacies of UK infrastructure, planning systems, and local government challenges. They discuss the complexities of planning permission, energy and local council operations. Collins shares expertise from his experience in local government and his current role as a planning consultant, making this episode essential listening for developers, property investors, and anyone interested in UK infrastructure development and local politics.   KEY TAKEAWAYS The planning system is too complex, projects that should be simple often get bogged down with unnecessary requirements and delays. Most council money goes to social care, leaving little for other important services like planning and development. Extra rules and taxes on landlords have led to fewer rental properties and higher rents for tenants. The UK's energy pricing makes no sense, we pay the highest possible price even when cheaper energy is available. Getting planning permission takes too long because councils don't have enough staff and the process is overly complicated. Infrastructure projects in the UK often cost far more than in other countries because we try to make everything perfect rather than practical. Local politics has become less cooperative over time, making it harder to get things done that everyone actually agrees need doing.   BEST MOMENTS   "The whole thing is bonkers and if the market means anything, surely it should mean that me as an electricity purchaser can go to a solar person and say, I'll have your electricity." "When you sit down and you talk to people, most people will agree what the challenges are and some of the ways forward by way of solutions." "Infrastructure projects suffer because they're over-engineered and gold-plated, which means they run out of money before completion.” "Local democracy is great, but we've all voted in a national election and if the government is saying it's infrastructure and growth, sorry guys, but we're going to have to constrain your local ability to say no." "The nature of our politics has got worse... there's an inability to actually listen and to debate and to understand and to compromise."   VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/   ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.   CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark talks to Jonathan Collins, friend and former leader of Nottingham City Council for 16 years. They discuss in depth Labour's recent budget decisions, infrastructure challenges, and the complexities of political promises. While coming from different sides of the political spectrum, their frank discussion explores local government, infrastructure investment, and the realities of political decision making. The debate around HS2, regional development, and political accountability makes this a must listen for anyone interested in UK politics and economic policy.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Good infrastructure (railways, roads, broadband) is essential for local economic growth - when these basics are missing, even successful businesses struggle to expand. Politicians avoid being honest about taxes before elections, creating a cycle of unrealistic promises and voter disappointment. There aren't enough young people being born causing a social care and tax crisis. Government projects often cost much more than necessary because officials are too focused on avoiding any possible criticism rather than being practical. The constant stopping and starting of major projects like HS2 wastes enormous amounts of money as contractors have to keep reorganising their work. Many areas of the UK are held back not by lack of business opportunity, but by poor transport connections and outdated infrastructure. Union influence on Labour Party decisions is less direct than many people think. Professional experts often over-engineer infrastructure projects due to fear of future criticism, leading to gold-plated solutions rather than practical ones. Local councils face challenges in basic service delivery (like waste collection) due to the complex relationship between unions, management, and practical realities.   BEST MOMENTS   "Part of the challenge with politics is that it often descends into personalities... But ultimately, this is all about how we run the country and it's about policy."  "The country isn't working anymore. It isn't functioning and so the conversation is, so are we happy with that? Are we happy to continue doing that?" "There aren't enough young people being born. You're not enough working age people to pay for the old people. We've got social care issues." "If you concentrate on infrastructure and housing, you will get growth. Infrastructure and housing will deliver you growth."  "Why does it cost four times as much to do HS2 per mile than it does to do the TGV?"  "Each time they get all of their payments, as soon as the government decides to stop again, it's massively disruptive and costly. Stop starting. I mean, it's completely bonkers."   VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/   ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.   CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark outlines his predictions for the housing market in 2025. He talks about what he thinks will happen to rental prices, interest rates and the impact of the US Election as he gives his 6 Property predictions for 2025.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Rent will continue to rise in 2025 due to stamp duty increases, EPC ratings and the repeal of section 21, meaning less buy to let landlords will be buying property, increasing demand. Economic growth is still going to be slow in 2025, interest rates are likely to continue to drop. Mark predicts that build-to-rent is a sector that is going to grow in 2025 Donald Trump being elected is going to have a significant impact on the world economy including the UK, particularly if we get a good trade deal directly with the U.S If Elon Musk is able to save the US government as much as predicted, what he does will become a model for the rest of the world Permitted development conversion caps have been removed, Mark predicts there will be more conversions of office and retail spaces into domestic accommodation in 2025   BEST MOMENTS   "I’m targeting between 5-10% of growth in build to rent” “If Elon Musk gets into the US government, there’s talk of him saving $2 Trillion a year in their budget”  “You can convert lots more retail buildings now”   VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/   ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.   CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark hosts an informal session answering attendees' questions on property investing and business. Topics covered include managing tenant arrears, using AI systems, recovering securing finance, choosing property strategies and leveraging technology to remove reliance on people. Mark provides his famous direct, no-nonsense advice, drawing on his extensive experience. The session offers valuable insights for property investors and business owners alike. KEY TAKEAWAYS Pursue former tenants with county court judgments using options like winding-up petitions to pressure payment, despite the costs involved. Expect Bank of England base rates to remain around 4-4.5% through 2025 before dropping, according to trading market predictions. Resolve cladding issues for financiers by providing EWS1 reports showing remediation works address combustible materials. Get multiple assessments when handling property contamination like asbestos to determine actual risks and remediation needs. Institute gradual rent increases for retained tenants to keep pace with market rates and offset rising mortgage costs. Leverage technologies like AI wherever possible to remove reliance on staff and minimise people management headaches. Seek out self-motivated employees requiring minimal oversight to avoid poor performance issues plaguing growth. BEST MOMENTS  "I issued a winding up petition on a care company...it probably cost four or five grand, but it's existential for them." "I check our rents once a month...I look back and a block we finished two years ago...Those rents are now going up 40%."  "When you attack landlords...then rents have to go up to a level where it works again. That's the adjustment that's taking place." "I'm looking forward to that because apparently this can remove quite a bit of admin. I would put as much technology in as possible."   VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/ ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties. CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark talks through budget and tax rumours and gives a breakdown of current government spending. He shares why he thinks the decisions and choices will be made and also gives the real numbers and statistics around government spending.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Around $340 billion, equivalent to almost 30% of this year’s budget is spent on social protection which covers things like, housing benefit, income support and pensions. Personal social services have increased to £43 billion Only 60% of the country is paying in, 40% of people in the UK are economically inactive Labour are claiming a £20 billion black hole which they are using to justify tax increases. The conservatives would have had to either reduce spending or put up taxes if they had remained in power. Covid cost the UK £400-£500 billion. Labour have been leaking information around which taxes may increase to help soften the blow to the public. There are rumours about capital gains tax increasing to 45% for high earners, but this could discourage investment. We can’t grow the economy if we scare off investors. From 1st January 2025 it's proposed that there will be VAT on school fees.   BEST MOMENTS   "40% of this country is economically inactive” “Rachel Reeves used to be in the treasury, so she’ll know exactly where to look for this information” “I suspect the conservatives would have had to reduce spending or put up taxes up anyway I think whoever got in that was about to happen” “I think the government have been leaking like hell” "I understand the politics of envy are at work here"  "Why would you want to tax excellence"  VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/ ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties. CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

A revisit of Mark talking through property news headlines including why UK rental prices have continued to increase despite government measures. Mark gives his thoughts on proposed rent controls being introduced in Wales, the impact of current rent controls in Scotland and why the UK does not offer value for money in renting properties. He also reveals the many other reasons behind the current rental crisis in the UK. KEY TAKEAWAYS 50k rental properties are needed to meet the demand in the UK Rent controls do not work. In the 60s and 70s, this was proven and it is being proven again. Rent control reduces the rental stock and pushes prices up, it also impacts the country's labour market as people cannot move around easily. People in the UK live in smaller homes than many other countries including France, Germany and Japan. Planning is extremely slow in the UK, this impacts the speed at which properties can be developed. Women in the UK are having fewer children than are needed to sustain the workforce which means immigration is heavily relied on. BEST MOMENTS  "For the 17th consecutive time, the price of renting in the UK has gone up”  “Rent control doesn’t work” “It will reduce the quality and selection”  “Reduce the cost of childcare and get women back to work” “It’s stealing off a section of society and it’s not right” VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/ ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties. CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark Homer reflects on his 20-year journey to becoming a multi-million-pound property CEO. Hear how he started with naive investments abroad, learned difficult lessons, and shifted his strategy to focus on local houses with strong cashflows. Mark explains his role as a "conductor" in assembling teams for each project, shares current real estate trends, and advises aspiring investors. KEY TAKEAWAYS Focus on cash flow over capital growth for stable returns and safety during market downturns Assemble specialists for each project rather than maintaining large in-house teams Leverage permitted development rights to convert low-value buildings into prime real estate Retail properties are undervalued currently due to the rise of e-commerce Large-scale PRS apartment blocks are an emerging institutional investment class Keep debt below 50% of asset values over the long term for sustainable growth BEST MOMENTS   "So lots of investors are having to offload because of section 24." “I watched them make loads of money in a very short space of time. At the time, I had a friend who maybe bought something like 97, and within two or three years he’d made about 60 grand’s worth of equity." "I made a very, very poor investment. So I learned very, very quickly not to trust those who have a vested interest in selling me the property and to go out and do genuinely independent research to find out what something will actually rent for." "When I started in this sector, I was very much focused on capital growth. Capital growth is sexier to a lot of people. That’s probably, in reality, truthfully, where you make most of your money over the long run." "I also noticed on a much bigger scale that the wealthiest people in the country seemed to have made or had seemed to have invested their money into property. If you have a look down the rich list, the Sunday Times rich list that comes out every year, a lot of those were making their money from property." VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/ ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties. CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

In this revisited episode episode, Mark shares his thoughts on how to teach and motivate children to invest in property and be successful. There are tips on how to get a mortgage, what types of property to buy, how to rent your property, what you need to know about taxes, and the secret strategy that could allow you to obtain a house for free! VALUABLE RESOURCES https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/ ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties. CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark gives a news review, focusing on Rachel Reeves plans for the October budget and what he thinks the rest of Labour's plans will be for the UK. Mark also talks about the voting share from the election, UK rental affordability and the impact the continued drop in interest rates is having on the housing market.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Labour already knew the financial situation but they are now behaving like they didn’t, revealing the drastic measures they may take.  Labour will likely look to change inheritance tax and pensions to try and ‘fill’ the gap in finances. Only 20% of the population actually voted for labour. This outcome is really about the conservatives performing so badly. The government’s control over the sentencing of rioters is concerning, they shouldn’t be able to have this much direct impact on the sentencing of individuals. Rental tenants are paying 70% of their income on housing in the UK. This is a direct consequence of the changes made by the previous government, that impacted demand and mortgage rates.  Interest rates are continuing to go down, which will cause more people to buy houses rather than rent, this can already be seen by the slowing growth in the rental market.    BEST MOMENTS   "They’re saying capital gains tax should be the same as income tax, which of course is not right” “I think she is probably going to try and get most of the bad news out this autumn” “I think they will repeal the section 21 which will make it harder to evict tenants”   VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/ ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties. CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

In this episode, Mark talks about the current state of the financial market, housing policies, and UK politics. From unsettling economic data to proposed changes in landlord regulations, Mark discusses the latest news and updates relevant to property investors and entrepreneurs in the UK right now.   KEY TAKEAWAYS  Financial markets are unsettled due to worsening US economic data, this could lead to interest rate drops of around 1% in the US by the end of 2024, with the UK likely to follow suit. The UK government is considering French style hardship tests for tenant evictions, potentially banning evictions if renters are found to be worse off, which could lead to stricter tenant referencing and higher rents. Labour's promised "biggest house building program in Britain for two generations" is met with scepticism, as similar promises by previous governments have failed to materialise due to lack of resources and planning reforms. Rent prices in the UK have hit record highs, with the average rent outside London reaching £1,314 per month, driven by a lack of supply and increasing costs for landlords due to regulations and taxation. The Labour government's first month has seen a short honeymoon period, with concerns raised about potential tax increases and the handling of recent protests and riots across the country. Mass immigration is a significant concern for many UK citizens, with over 700,000 people entering the country on a net basis in the last 12 months, putting pressure on housing, schools, and public services. Mark criticises the Rwanda deportation, it feels like the plan was a "scam," especially after Dominic Cummings' revelation that Boris Johnson knew it would never work due to ECHR constraints, despite allocating £10 billion to the project.   BEST MOMENTS   "I studied economics. The first module I did was the supply and demand curve. It's very, very simple. If demand remains the same and supply reduces then price has to go up and that's what's happening to rent." "About 6% of the land in this country is built on 57% is agriculture and 35% is natural or semi natural land. So, you know, do we want to get rid of all the farms? Absolutely not. Do we want to produce food? Absolutely." "What happens is on a flat that ordinarily might have been rented for £800 and you've got an old tenant in there maybe paying £650 because they're on a, some sort of protected tenancy or rent control or whatever that property comes back on the market, it might rent for £1400, £1500, £1600." "I think a lot of the sort of levelling up fund was marketing. I think there were a lot of sort of gimmicks in there." "I think if Starmer really wants to gain credibility over some of the core issues that are going on at the moment I think he needs to find a genuine solution to stopping boats and remember the boats are only 30/50,000 people a year, reducing legal immigration, which is probably a bigger problem." VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/ ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties. CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark revisits a previous episode this week and discusses one of the questions he repeatedly gets asked, whether it is worth using additional cash to pay off your mortgage or if it is better to invest it elsewhere? Join Mark in this episode to hear his thoughts and answers to this common question.   KEY TAKEAWAYS If you are even slightly disciplined you should not pay your mortgage off. If you are worried about interest rates then look at fixed rate mortgages. If you can invest your cash somewhere else, you will earn more back on that lump sum than you will be paying in interest on your mortgage. Property is still by far the best investment opportunity particularly in terms of lending from banks; they will always give you a great interest rate on anything you borrow. BEST MOMENTS “Why would you want to pay of your mortgage if you can get consistently good returns by investing in your isa and getting much much higher investment returns”   “You’ve got to make your money work for you, no one else will look after your money like you do”   VALUABLE RESOURCES https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/   ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties. CONTACT METHOD   Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark and Kevin dissect the recent UK general election results, exploring potential impacts on property investment, economic policies, and the future political landscape. Mark also shares his thoughts on navigating the changing market, seizing opportunities amidst current challenges, and adapting investment strategies. KEY TAKEAWAYS Labour's victory was significant but not as large as initially predicted, with the Conservatives performing better than expected despite their worst result since the 1830s. Interest rates are expected to start declining in the second half of 2024, with a gradual decrease over the next 3+ years, potentially settling between 2-3%. The property market is likely to see an uptick once interest rates decrease, as incomes have risen and house prices have rebalanced, creating opportunities for investors. Buying properties through limited companies offers tax advantages, allowing full mortgage interest to offset against rent for tax purposes. Nigel Farage's presence in Parliament could bring attention to landlord issues and hold the Labour government accountable in an entertaining manner. Labour's large majority may lead to internal conflicts between centrist and left-wing factions, potentially complicating legislative efforts. Successful property investment requires focusing on a specific area, building local contacts, and adapting to market changes rather than using a scattered approach across multiple locations. BEST MOMENTS   "Do not wish for no problems, wish for the ability to handle bigger ones. And there will be some great stuff that comes out of the new election." "I think there will be huge opportunity. If there's a big shift, there will be huge opportunities." "You've got to take action, and get in an environment where you can learn. You need to be devouring books, courses, videos. Being around other property investors who have found a way to make money out of a new world, a new environment." "I always say to people, do not wish for no problems, wish for the ability to handle bigger ones." "We're making more money than we ever have out of our properties, at any point over the last 20 years, because we've changed and taken advantage of all these things and utilize them." VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/ ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties. CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark has read through the main political parties’ manifestos, and in this episode gives his thoughts on everything from Labour’s spending promises and Green’s 1% wealth tax to The Reform Party’s proposed 45% NI for foreign workers. He focuses on the parts of the manifestos that will be important for those in property, investing and small business owners. Mark also talks about the issues politicians need to focus on to bring the country out of debt and stimulate growth.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Labour’s spending promises are actually lower than the conservatives. However, there is nothing much about planning or property legislation. Immigration has hit 750k so the Conservative’s promises around this haven’t been kept. The Green Party are proposing a 1% wealth tax, these kinds of tactics haven’t worked in other European countries such as France, and they don’t lead to the effect desired. The country's debt is impacting growth but none of the parties have focused on it in their manifestos. There are more working-age people on benefits and out of work than pre-covid. This needs to be tackled by all parties The first time buyers schemes will likely be extended and the upper values increased to keep in line with the market.   BEST MOMENTS  "I think the older you get the more cynical you become” “I do believe lots of people will up sticks and leave”  “We have debt levels of nearly 100% of the size of our economy, it is unsustainable it needs to come down” “Do I think we will ever return to the EU? Yes I do” VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/ ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties. CONTACT METHOD Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive ‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/