Explore every episode of the podcast Mark My Words

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

1. You never know when regeneration is actually going to happen, even after it’s been announced. Regeneration doesn’t always increase demand.
2. 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
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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/

This episode is taken from the recent property network revolution event, where Mark takes questions from property investors and business owners. Mark answers questions on the current political climate and what this might mean for the economy, the property market and entrepreneurs and businesses.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Labour still has a lot of left wing MPs in the party, convincing them to vote in more centrist policies will be a challenge for Kier Starmer.
• Whilst labour may now increase national insurance of income tax, they will find ways to stealth tax.
• Look at post war Britain, prior to Thatcher, shows the problems with rent controls and we are starting to see these issues again with the controls that have been brought in with legislation in Scotland.
• One way the country could help tenants and landlords and begin to solve supply and demand problems in housing is by reforming the planning system.
• Local planning regulations, with zones and permitted development within these would speed up planning processes and consent
• Whilst it may not be popular, someone in politics needs to make some tough decisions around planning and development so we can solve the housing crisis.

BEST MOMENTS  

"He’s not Jeremy Corbyn is he”

“The conservatives have done an appalling job for too long”

“I would reform the planning system in a huge way”

“Someone will balls needs to actually 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/

With the recent election announcement, Mark talks about what he would change in government if he were the housing minister.

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 recent 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/

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/

Join Mark as he gives an overview of the current news stories around property including the growth of the construction industry and his take on the favourability of first time buyers and what targets we should instead be focusing on. Mark also talks about the current rent crisis and the impact of the cost of living on landlords, investors and tenants.  

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Historically, first time buyers keep the market moving and triggered economic growth but the favourability towards them with schemes such as help to buy have been detrimental in many ways too.
• The cost of construction has gone up by around a third, and this has created redundancies and collapses in the industry.
• Rent rises have surged post-covid and during this current cost of living crisis but Mark is seeing indications of this now slowing as demand is starting to reduce.
• Airbnb and other serviced accommodation providers have had a direct impact on housing stock. Some controls are beginning to be introduced but it’s important that these also incentivise traditional landlords to create choice and keep prices moderate.
• Building on brownfield sites is a key factor in meeting any kind of house-building targets but it’s also important that the targets are focused around the right types of properties in the right areas.

BEST MOMENTS  

"For decades there's been the assumption that first-time buyers prop the market up”

“First time buyers have become older”

“Construction industry whilst not mended is probably on the way to being mended after a difficult period”

“2020 was probably coming right to end to the previous cycle”

“We should be focused on the types of properties being built in the right areas”

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 been investing in property for 15-20 years, approaching the 100 mark in terms of deals made and has a 70 million equity stake in various portfolios. One of the questions he repeatedly gets asked, is whether it is worth using additional cash to pay of your mortgage or if it is better to invest it elsewhere. Listen in to 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 gives an overview of the current news stories around property including new legislation and the recent budget. Mark also talks about the many changes around serviced accommodation, current house prices and gives his thoughts and opinions on why other markets aren’t investing in the UK.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• When governments reduce taxes, they generally find they receive more tax as people spend more in the economy.
• Other markets aren’t investing in the UK as they don’t see our companies as efficient of innovative.
• There are big changes happening in serviced accommodation, you will no longer be able to claim capital allowances on SA and much more planning will be needed for new serviced accommodation.
• There have been more changes in the property market since Christmas with some areas seeing 10-15% drops.
• It’s a fine balance between legislation to help renters and pushing landlords too far, reducing the rent stock further and making the problem worse.

BEST MOMENTS  

"As you reduce tax rates, often the amount of tax you take increases”

“The markets see our companies as nowhere near efficient”

“You’re not going to be able to claim capital allowances on serviced accommodation” 

“Inflation is now at about 4%, we need 2%, we were and 10%”

“Renters reform bill is on the brink of collapse”

"It pushes rent up"

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/

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/

In this episode, Mark gives his thoughts on recent property news. He talks about current planning restrictions, ground rent problems and gives his educated opinion about the new suggested help-to-buy scheme from Jeremy Hunt.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Jeremy Hunt is looking at creating a similar scheme to the previous help to buy where the government helps fund houses for buyers, including on existing homes.
• The previous help-to-buy schemes were often overpriced and put lenders and the government at some risk.
• Planning is preventing much-needed house building. Until this changes we can’t tackle the housing crisis in the UK.
• There is a government consultation that has just been completed to cap extortionate ground rents for existing leases.

BEST MOMENTS  

"Jeremy Hunt is looking at reintroducing a help-to-buy type scheme”

“It was a great gravy train for the developers”

“They’re not building anywhere enough, due to planning”

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/

Two of the most talked about issues in the country in regards to housing, are how the next generation will afford it and the impact migration and immigration are having on the housing shortage. Mark joins Nigel Farage on GB news to discuss this and the promises of house building from the current secretary of state for housing Michael Gove.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Michael Gove has said the government can and will override local government and council decisions around housing.
• Nigel Farage believes the single biggest issue facing the housing crisis is immigration.
• Rental increases are largely in part due to a lack of supply of housing.
• The government needs to present and show new ideas to help the lack of housing in this country right now.
• New towns are one of the solutions to the housing crisis.
• The housing planning system in this country is broken, being done at a local level it’s very political and this is detrimental to housing development.

BEST MOMENTS  

"For 2023 it’s unlikely they’ll build more than 160 thousand”

“He showed himself and the government to be more out of touch with the country and the reality”

“Rents have gone up 40% since 2016, since the Brexit vote”

“Planning is the major problem”

“I haven't seen any new ideas from Starmer”

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 outlines his predictions for property for 2024. He discusses the implications of the market in 2023, what he thinks will happen to house prices and rent rises as well as the multiple reasons more and more landlords are choosing to sell up!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• For the end of 2024, Mark thinks house price falls will moderate and stabilise
• Mark believes rent prices will continue to rise throughout 2024
• There is less supply of rental properties and this is continuing along with population increases.
• Section 21 is mostly used by landlords when tenants have run up arrears.
• There is going to be a consultation taking place to split houses into two apartments which could be positive for developers.
• The government have confirmed that landlords won’t have to meet EPC rating of c in all properties by 2025. Which makes many properties more viable to property investors.

BEST MOMENTS  

"I think rent rises will continue through 2024”

 “From 2016 to now we have seen an almost double of rent [prices] in this area”

“Lots of landlords are leaving the sector because they can see the section 21 being repealed”

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 reviews the biggest property and business news stories of 2023!

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 shares the inside story of his largest and most complex commercial conversion project to date - transforming an 80,000 sq ft former Marks & Spencer department store into 99 residential units. He reveals the highs and lows behind acquiring the property, handling the intricate planning permission, dealing with the main contractor going bust halfway through construction, and stepping up to build it himself.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Mark acquired the M&S property once he confirmed a national retailer was interested in the ground floor space. This substantially reduced his risk and unlocked the opportunity.
• After his initial main contractor went bust, Mark set up his own building firm and hired the existing site manager and subcontractors. This saved significant cost and gave him greater control.
• Strong health and safety processes including regular independent audits were critical for managing risks during construction. This documentation also proved invaluable when scrutiny arose.
• Gradually gaining experience across different commercial conversion projects enabled Mark to handle a development of this scale. It's not advisable to dive into a huge site as your first project.
• Doing the project himself rather than using a main contractor saved around 20% of costs (£2 million) and eliminated variations which can be painfully expensive.
• The building qualified for a government-backed bond which provided exceptionally low long-term finance to hold the flats. This rewarded his ambition and enabled him to retain ownership.
• Mark always seeks creative angles to de-risk acquisitions and reduce base cost. This might involve creating optionality around alternative uses, or leveraging tenant demand

BEST MOMENTS  

"Just graduate your way into it. I don't subscribe to this view of oh, it doesn't matter how big it is you can just dive straight in from day one on a massive project because you know you'll make a lot of mistakes and they'll be magnified on a big site"

"By doing it myself, I think we saved at least £2 million So, that was worth that. It's about 20%? Yeah, probably. A little bit more? Yeah. That's interesting."

"You really need to buy the whole building to make anything work"

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/

Join Mark as he explores the common debate between renting and buying a home in the UK and talks about why home ownership is still a good option. Mark also talks about recent tax changes, including Section 24 and increased stamp duty, impacting the property market. Mark contends that these changes contribute to a shortage of rental properties and increased rents. Gain insight into the current property market dynamics, including falling prices due to higher interest rates and what this could mean for property investors.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Tax changes have made the cost of living more expensive for tenants and homeowners.
• The increase in rental prices is due to landlords leaving the market.
• You find a way to manage law and legislation changes, regardless of how big an impact you first think they will make, there are always solutions. just as Mark found when section 24 first came in. 
• Think creatively about how you can invest in property, Mark lived with his mum in order to save to invest.
• It is better to invest money in properties rather than buying your own home
• Homeownership is still better than renting in the UK. It's best to see it as a long-term investment, regardless of what the property market is doing.

BEST MOMENTS

"Is it true that you had ten investment properties and still lived with your mum?"

"There's a severe lack of rental property because the planning system is broken and because of Section 24 and because they've put the stamp duty up to higher rates of 3% on top."

"Clearly, interest rates going up, yes, but a huge amount of it is landlords leaving because of all this stuff, less rental property."

"Rents are just going absolutely nuts off the back of this."

"If you're only going to stay in a year or two, it's definitely better to rent."

"You just need to sort of adapt, don't you, to adapt your business, you know, an issue comes along, you just set the sail of your sailing boat to take advantage of the new direction of the wind."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://robmoore.com/

bit.ly/Robsupporter  

https://robmoore.com/podbooks

 rob.team

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/robmoore1979

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark reflects and gives his thoughts on a selection of news articles in this episode including focusing on the row between Nigel Farage and Alison Rose, wage growth and inflation. Mark also talks about the current housing crisis and what he thinks will happen in the medium and long term.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Alison Rose gave private information about Nigel’s banking details to a BBC journalist, Nigel has won against her in court.
• Next year it is predicted house prices will continue to fall by around 4%
• Most indicators are showing the base rate of interest will go back down to 1.7% by 2027
• This year has seen the biggest price reduction in November since 2017
• Growth comes from entrepreneurs and businesses, this is what the government needs to focus on to promote growth.

BEST MOMENTS  

"Anybody that decides to go up against Nigel Farage is usually pretty foolish”

“Savills is declaring the UK housing market is past peak pain”

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/

Car hire and leasing can expensive and getting out of a contract early can be difficult especially if you don’t know what type of contract you’re entering into. In today’s episode, Mark dives into the details of car leasing, contract hire and PCP contracts and explains the most cost-effective way of controlling, owning or renting your vehicle. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Contract (leasing) hire - the term contract is interchangeable with leasing and is a fixed agreement, usually 24,36 or 48 months and you are expected to fulfil the contract. Essential the monthly payment has been calculated over many months. Therefore if you’re looking to end the agreement early you will usually have to pay 50% of the remaining rentals if you’re looking to give the car back early. The disadvantage of contract hire is that they are not particularly flexible. If you’re concerned about ending your contract hire seek advice from the supplying dealer or credit broker to offer a shorter agreement.  
• PCP (Personal Contract) Hire - At the end of the contract you either pay the remaining value of ‘balloon’ payment, you sell the vehicle or you return it. Should you wish to end the agreement early the common agreement is to pay 50% of the remaining rentals or return the vehicle to the finance company. With PCP you are able to enter into a process called voluntary termination giving you the option to return the vehicle to the company when you’ve paid 50% of the amount payable or more. This can be referred to as the rules of halves and thirds.  
• Many car lease agreements have a buy-out option and will usually credit a percentage of the lease payment towards that purchase and is commonly least expensive way of getting out of a car lease. In order for it to make sense the resale value of the car needs to be equal or more than the buy-out value of the car. However, if you’re looking to get out of your lease so that you can purchase a new car be careful re-entering into another agreement especially with the same dealership as they will roll over outstanding payments on your old agreement into a new finance agreement.  

BEST MOMENTS 

• “With a contract hire You will usually have to pay 50% of the remaining rentals. From my experience, they will try to make you pay all of them.” 
• “Car dealers love nothing more than for old customers to come back in and purchase a new car as they will make money on the old sale and the new one” 
• “Get everything down on a spreadsheet to work out the total cost to get in and out of these leases” 
• “Focus on the P&L and APR before purchasing a car” 
• “Dealers love talking about monthly payments” 
  
  

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

• Centralleasing.com
• Appliedleasing.com 
• Leasing.com 
• Freedomleasing.com

ABOUT THE HOST 

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor.  He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books.  Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.  

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 interviews controversial politician and broadcaster Nigel Farage in this episode. They discuss Nigel's experience as a commodities trader in the City, his views on investing, and the future of the stock market. Nigel provides an inside look at his political career, explaining how he stood alone in advocating for Brexit and used social media to make his voice heard. He shares his thoughts on the Conservative party, challenges with the benefits system, immigration, China, and more. Nigel also opens up about dealing with stress and negativity as a public figure. With his signature bluntness, humour, and charm, he engages in lively debate on controversial issues.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Nigel was a commodities trader in metals before entering politics. He still invests but prefers long-term positions in solid, dividend-paying companies.
• He credits his trading experience and sense of humour for helping him survive the stresses of politics and public scrutiny.
• Nigel believes he could become Prime Minister under a proportional representation voting system.
• He remains a staunch defender of Brexit despite domestic implementation problems.
• Nigel thinks China invading Taiwan in 2023 is over 60% likely and could be devastating for supply chains.
• He feels education should return to teaching critical thinking skills instead of moral relativism.

BEST MOMENTS  

"Be true to yourself. Because if you're not happy, you'll never be happy."

 "On the world stage, Brexit has been a big success. Domestically it's been terrible."

"You can't be friends with both. You have to make a decision." (On siding with Saudi Arabia over Iran)

"Nothing in our history was ever easy. There were always problems at every juncture."

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 interviews Adrian from Prefect Controls about their intelligent heating control system for HMOs and student accommodation. Adrian explains how Prefect's room-by-room controls help property managers like Mark reduce energy waste from tenants who crank the heat up and open windows! With energy prices skyrocketing, he expects Prefect will reduce his bills 20-30%. Tune in to hear how Mark and Adrian implemented Prefect across Mark's properties and the tenant experience so far.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Prefect is designed for rooms, unlike smart home systems made for houses. Central control and data is key.
• Tenants cranking heat and opening windows wastes energy. Prefect stops this.
• Prefect monitors temperature, occupancy, noise and more in each room.
• Data helps identify issues like banned space heaters quickly.
• With remote access, managers don't need to enter rooms to check occupancy.
• The payback period depends on energy savings, but Mark expects 20-30% lower bills.

BEST MOMENTS

"The thermostat gets put right up to maximum, which might be 30 degrees, and then the temperature is often regulated by opening the window."

"We can see if the range goes much higher. We've got tenants where the rooms are going to 28, 29. In fact, we found one where he was consistently 37 degrees."

"You know, we, we set the parameters or you guys set the parameters according to your sort of normal temperature range."

"I was expecting, um, a saving on our energy bills of maybe 20 to 30 per cent."

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 episode is a recording of Mark’s recent talk at the Underground Empire Builders Event. Mark draws on 20 years of experience and 1000+ deals, sharing the mindsets and models essential for business success. He gives his philosophies on real estate investing, scaling companies, productive habits, calculated risks, and leveraging assets.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Find a profitable business model aligned with your passions - it drives you through tough times. Surround yourself with successful people to get ideas, not direct copies.
• Start now, test, and pivot - don't over-research. Your business will change; the market will shape it. Take action, make mistakes, learn, and improve.
• Systemise everything, measure with data, and manage time carefully. Spend it on income-generating tasks; this grows your business, and delegate what doesn't.
• Diversify income streams and assets. Property, trading, and investments balance each other when challenges like Brexit hit. Diversification survives dislocations.

BEST MOMENTS  

"I think the first thing I'd do as Prime Minister is take the whole tax system, put it in the bin, and reduce taxes."

"Once you find your model, it's all about implementation. You need clear, definable goals and milestones to ensure you're executing correctly."

"Don't go into developments early - learn by buying smaller ones first. There's less to go wrong and you gain experience for bigger projects."

"This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. Buy properties now - even if cash flow is lower, you're purchasing for the long-term."

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 joins Nigel to talk about one of the ways he sees us dealing with the housing crisis, redevelopment of retail and other commercial units into residential use. They discuss the barriers to general development and the new legislation coming into place soon.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• The government hasn’t been getting anywhere near its target for building houses, largely down to local planning and democracy.
• Over the years it’s become more difficult to convert commercial property into residential but there is some new regulation being discussed that could change this.
• You don’t get the same objections and difficulties when trying to develop housing in a city centre -vs.- rural communities.

BEST MOMENTS  

‘Everywhere the government turns it finds it more and more difficult to meet these housing targets’

‘I was the first person in Peterborough to take an office building and turn it into apartments’

‘It makes sense to live in city centres now and if we do a new kind of shopping with emerge’

‘So many builders are saying that the current green targets, are making it harder and harder’

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 Rob do a Q&A with the audience and answer questions about books, entrepreneurship, what they are up to across their property businesses and the people they currently look to for inspiration. They also talk about how they are managing the current economic crisis and their thoughts on AI.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Your brain has a capacity, you can fill it with too much with things that aren’t relevant or good for you. Mark is selective about what he consumes, especially regarding books and other media.
• When people kept telling Mark he would fail, he simply bought houses and didn’t tell anyone until he succeeded.
• Don’t let the negative people around you hold you back, they are trying to keep you in the place they are at.
• Progressive’s costs have gone up significantly, like most property investors. Mark is going through all of their portfolios to see where he can make savings.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger and John De Martini are two of Rob’s current inspirational people!
• There will be a lot to come out of AI that will be worthwhile, Mark believes in the wait and watch strategy, to see the benefits through the early adopters.
• A centralised digital currency is something Rob and Mark agree is bad for the people, it gives the government far too much control.

BEST MOMENTS  

‘I quite enjoy getting more from less’

‘We just need to make sure we really continue that momentum as this time of year things can go really slow’

‘Entrepreneurship is a stoic thing and good for progress’

‘I choose to focus on the upside of it [AI], not just the downside and all the doom’

‘Anything that gives them [The Government] more control I don’t like’

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 goes joins GB news to answer the question, is Britain full? Mark shares his own experiences of the property market and volume in his current city of Peterborough and also how he sees the current crisis ending.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• We simply aren’t meeting the house-building target needed to match migration. With planning regulations as they are this won’t be changing any time soon.
• The housing crisis will continue to get worse until the breaking point where the government will have to relax planning regulations, build more social housing and reduce taxation for housing landlords.

BEST MOMENTS  

‘Are we building enough to accommodate the people we are allowing in?’

‘It’s going to keep on getting worse until there are some major changes made to the planning systems’

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/

Ex-MP Simon Danczuk joins Mark to share his many political views and in-depth knowledge of the system and the people of the UK. He talks about his days as an MP including exposing the Rochdale grooming gang and Cyril Smith, about his business background, immigration, the private rent sector and housing and the lack of leadership in parliament.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• At just age 15, Simon knew he wanted to become an MP and eventually became a counsellor at 27.
• Simon formed his own business and stepped down from being a counsellor. But once he hit 40 he decided to get into politics again and became an MP for Rochdale in 2010.
• Some of Simon’s experience from being a counsellor, allowed him to win clients for his agency because he understood a lot of the context and detail.
• You can’t have a flexible labour force if you don’t have enough rentals and housing for people to easily move.
• What politics has been lacking is strategy and vision which we are seeing the real impact of now.
• There’s a big economic event every ten years but the issue at the moment is that the media is particularly good at fear-mongering which has a large impact on the collective feeling of the country.
• There are 23 million working-age people in the UK that are economically inactive. We need to really incentivise these people to start working.

BEST MOMENTS  

‘I get a lot of satisfaction from solving people's problems and coming up with solutions”

“People still like to buy their home but rental is still crucial”

“Rents have doubled since 2016 because they have reduced the amount of rental properties”

“Surely you can incentivise people to go back to work”

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 Nigel Farage on GB news about the difficulties of rent and housing in his local town of Peterborough, demonstrating a microcosm of what is happening across the country. Mark outlines the need for changes in regulation to drastically disrupt the current supply issues the UK is facing in housing.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Rents have almost doubled since 2016, a lot of this is population pressure as well as landlords exiting the sector due to the Section 21 regulation
• Peterborough is the cheapest place within 75 miles of London and that is one of the causes of the drastic population increase
• Changes to planning need to happen to make it easier to build houses
• The government needs to create incentives for landlords, this creates choice, promotes quality and keeps prices down

BEST MOMENTS  

‘The property here is exploding, where is everybody going to live, what’s it going to cost them and what’s the government doing about it’

‘The supply of rental properties is contracting as more and more people come in the country wanting to rent’

‘Those rental increases here in Peterborough are shocking’

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/

CLASH OF THE TITANS - Go To moorevleeds.com to find out more

FREE DOWNLOAD How YOU Can Make A FORTUNE From Buy-To-Let

https://bit.ly/BTLReport-POD

The renters' reform bill was entered into parliament in May 2023, in this episode Kev, Mark and Kieran discuss their thoughts, including the upsides and downsides as well as how landlords and developers can make it work for them.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• The new bill will get rid of section 21, which is a 2-month eviction notice that can be served without grounds.
• The announcement of this bill is accelerating the mass exodus of landlords.
• It’s important to read into the bill yourself and not just look at headlines and rumours.
• There will always be tenants and therefore opportunities for landlords to make money but it might mean an increase in rent for many.
• Whilst changes by government are often called reforms, Kieran believes there are a whole host of things in the past that have made things worse for both tenants and landlords including epc criteria and the inability to offset interest.
• If legitimate landlords are having to charge more because of new legislation then those who can’t afford rent will instead look to rogue landlords.
• The bill talks about changes to allowing pets but it actually may put landlords in a better position as it states that insurance by the tenant will need to be bought to cover damage.
• It’s not just landlords that ask tenants to leave, tenants often want to leave after shorts amount of time too.
• Ultimately cost will be going up for both landlords and tenants as a result of this bill.

BEST MOMENTS  

“None of this is set in stone there are potentially things that could be changed”

“There are laws in this country that protect tenants”

“Landlords will just have to get better at using the section 8”

“A buy to let landlord will only be there if they can make money”

“All of this stuff can be used as an opportunity”

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/

CLASH OF THE TITANS - Go To moorevleeds.com to find out more

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/

CLASH OF THE TITANS - Go To moorevleeds.com to find out more

How high could interest rates go, whether to invest in property right now and what a 100% mortgage is are just some of the questions Mark answers in this Q&A episode of Mark My Words.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• The UK is behind the curve, the EU is still putting interest rates up currently and it’s predicted we will still have some small rises in interest.
• Inflation is higher in the UK than in the EU and US due to our reliance on gas, labour supply shock from covid lockdowns and food price increases.
• Government debt is set to rise still and is continuing to impact growth.
• House prices are still falling but at a slower rate.
• There are opportunities to add to your property portfolio right now, there are always good deals available.
• Pay off student debt as soon as you can but not at the detriment of owning a property and career progression.

BEST MOMENTS  

‘Inflation is the primary consideration when setting interest rates’

‘Inflation will start to fall slightly, it’s already baked into the numbers’

‘House price falls are starting to slow and the market is beginning to stabilise’

‘Variable rates aren’t always a bad thing’

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 some of the most asked questions he is getting at the moment including why yes now is a good time to invest in buy to lets, why interest rates will be dropping and why some debt can be good.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Being debt free isn’t always the best option, it can be worth investing money into property rather than paying off your mortgage
• Inflation will be paying your debt down, including your mortgage debt.
• The government haven’t helped tenants, landlords are selling up meaning less supply and so prices have increased.
• Mark suspects interest rates will drop in the next few years.

BEST MOMENTS  

‘There are less landlords coming into the market and that’s pushing rents higher and higher’

‘Prices have fallen and there are still some deals out there’

‘The IMF says the natural point of interest in the UK is way lower than we are at the moment”

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 gives an update on energy, particularly on how this will impact landlords and the property market.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• The government has confirmed that landlords will need to meet an EPC rating of C or better by 2028 for new and existing tenancies.
• The best ways to go from a D or an E to a C rating is by a few small changes, such as energy saving lightbulbs, adding a storage heater or adding solar panels.
• Start planning for your properties now, as the deadline gets closer EPC experts will become busier and it will be more costly for you to make the necessary changes.
• There are exemptions, particularly if it’s going to be very costly for you to improve.
• Some landlords will be selling due to this which presents investment opportunities for those who are willing to put the work and knowledge in.
• Fuel prices will start to fall this year as wholesale priced drop and alternative options become available.
• Diesel and petrol prices have dropped significantly, almost hitting pre-2020 levels. This means that electric car demand has also dropped, they aren’t as financially attractive as they were.

BEST MOMENTS 

“I think quite a few landlords are selling because of this, this could be an opportunity”

“More and more of these sources of energy are coming online now”

“I don’t think the energy cap will be needed in the same way going into 2024”

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 systems 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/

CLASH OF THE TITANS - Go To moorevleeds.com to find out more

FREE DOWNLOAD How YOU Can Make A FORTUNE From Buy-To-Let

https://bit.ly/BTLReport-POD

Join Mark as he speaks to Kevin for a second time about how to build and manage a property business including your accounts and finances as well as investing. Mark and Kev also discuss investing abroad, the best way to do crypto and the biggest financial mistakes they see people making again and again.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• One day Mark envisions moving abroad, his plan would be to come back to the UK once a month for 3-4 days for tax rules and use that time to manage him team on the ground in the UK
• Mark recommends using a simple spreadsheet to manage your costs, finances etc when first starting out, it’s simple, it works and is usually free!
• The impact of late payments (excluding mortgages) on a company credit file is less than on a personal file, another one of the benefits of setting yourself up as a limited company as soon as you can.
• Bitcoin is probably the most stable coin from an investment perspective, anything else is a real gamble. Mark would still recommend you don’t put anymore of 5% into Bitcoin as it’s still very high risk.
• Most of those in cryptocurrency are then converting it into something ‘real’ such as fiat currency.
• Now is the time to buy property, prices are falling and will continue to fall and then increase again.
• Mark only buys properties with a 10 year view, he doesn’t flip properties. He also focuses on unloved properties as this is where he can add the most value.

BEST MOMENTS  

‘Leverage is often not paying a bill, because the bill is wrong’

‘The underlying technology behind crypto, the ledger system, is revolutionary’

‘You can use property [investing] as the vehicle to earn money and put that into crypto…it’s a no-money-down crypto’

‘I’ve never made more money, investing wise, out of anything other than property’

‘As interest rates have gone up, it’s pushed property prices down’

‘I love the stuff that’s unloved because that’s where you add value’

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/