I didn’t really turn my ambitions to become a property investor into reality until about 8 years ago in 2002. I had always had a desire to benefit from both the income and the long term capital gains that planned property investments had got to offer, but for years I struggled to find a way in…

Having worked in SMEs since the 1980s - in particular helping businesses to raise funds and develop their business - my property knowledge was far from basic. But I knew that in order for me to invest successfully I needed a system, which was when I began looking for a property course.

When I first realised that I wanted to turn property investment into a credible career, I began researching into smarter ways to become a property investor. E-books, property portals, property courses… I looked into them all and that is when I discovered Property Mentor.

Their property course taught me so much. For example, I now know how to assess the profitability of my investments – before I buy – and de-risk my portfolio by having an equal spread of different property types.

And the results have really paid off…

Up until I sold my property portfolio in 2007 I acquired and sold a solid property portfolio worth £727,000 (releasing £155k in capital growths); witnessed an ROI of 102% and benefited from an average occupancy of 88%!

Aside from living through a property boom and a recession, the principles of property investment haven’t largely changed that much. What I have found is that trends (triggered by the prevailing economic climate) have had the most influence over the way you invest.

For instance, the internet in the last 5 years has dramatically changed the way we source properties, especially in terms of research, collaboration, education and planning. There is so much you can discover from the internet these days that makes becoming a property investor incredibly easy…

Understand the market place; listen to the advice of others; benefit from their experiences through education and networking; concentrate on generating cash and cash management; build yourself a model and write a business plan.

If you are serious about becoming a property investor, it is pivotal that you equip yourself with as much property knowledge and resources as possible. Even with my past experiences in property, I knew it was important to acquire the training and tools of a quality property course, to ensure I experienced optimum results from my investments.