Heaps of property investing tips, insights, stories and ideas can be found on our podcast BRICK TO THE FUTURE, with plenty of episodes to educate and inspire you on your journey towards financial freedom!
Quick recap: Brick to the Future is the property investment show for everyday Australians. Our expert presenters cut through the white noise around all things investing in property, along the way providing valuable tips and strategies for building a high-performance property portfolio that’s right for your lifestyle.
Below is an aggregation of episodes 15-22 for your listening pleasure.
EPISODE #22 – Focus on Australia’s property rebound | Winning strategies for 2021 with Nerida Conisbee, Chief Economist for REA Group
This special episode of BRICK TO THE FUTURE features an insightful conversation between OpenCorp’s Director of Investment Services, Michael Beresford, and Nerida Conisbee, Chief Economist for REA Group.
Nerida is one of Australia’s go-to media commentators when it comes to property. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge around economic trends and how they impact property markets around the country.
Understanding these big picture trends is critical for property investing success.
Nerida and Michael cover a range of topics, including:
- ECONOMIC DRIVERS – key economic drivers property investors need to know about today
- WHY 2021 WILL BE BIG – why property is poised for a big 2021, and how investors can benefit
- FACTORS TO CONSIDER – local, regional and international factors to be aware of
- RATES & REGULATIONS – long-term benefits of new rates and regulation changes for investors.
Plus they look at the winners and losers in Australian property, and where to look now (and next).
This conversation is jam-packed with useful, up-to-the-minute information about the latest trends in Australia’s property market. It’s from a recent OpenCorp educational webinar – if you’d like to check out a replay, you can do so on YouTube.
Whether you’re a novice or experienced investor, you won’t want to miss this special episode!
EPISODE #21 – The ins and outs of new builds: what budding property investors need to be aware of
Cam McLellan sits down with his OpenCorp colleague, Matt Lewison, to dissect what the “optimum size and quality property” should look like, and why investors need to be mindful of over-capitalising during the building process.
In this discussion, Cam and Matt touch on:
- A valuable lesson Cam learned early on in his property investing career that carries over to today for OpenCorp clients
- The importance of designing the optimum size and quality property: everyone will be pushing to build a bigger house – draughtsmen, builders, agents – “everyone wants bigger except the investor,” says Cam.
- How the money you save when building a new house can contribute to your next investment property
- Median house prices and the science behind property valuation
- The danger of over-capitalising on fixtures and fittings
- Dressing up your property for sale (a real-life example from Matt)
- Doing your homework: assessing an area to ensure you build the right size and quality house
Matt explains how property developers tend to end up selling their worst land for more than their best land, while Cam advises: “Don’t be fearful of new builds coming into the area.”
This show gets “into the weeds” – lots of helpful and practical tips and insights from two highly experienced investors who have been involved in their fair share of property development projects over the journey.
EPISODE #20 – “You ask, we answer” – Facebook Live Q&A Show (February, 2021)
This episode of BRICK TO THE FUTURE is a replay of the February edition of OpenCorp’s popular Live Q&A Show, a monthly Facebook livestream in which our panel of in-house experts answer viewers’ questions around all things property investment.
The February show was hosted by OpenCorp director, Matthew Lewison, together with our relationship manager, Natalie Ravaneschi.
Terrific questions from viewers, plus Matthew – our resident property market data and analytics expert – provides a terrific snapshot of the overall market situation in Australia, including vacancy rates, supply and demand, and affordability.
Follow us on Facebook to stay in the loop on property market news and insights, plus dates for live-streams and webinars!
EPISODE #19 – Why you need to look at the past to understand the now: Cam McLellan’s personal journey
This episode is a replay of a candid conversation between OpenCorp’s Cam McLellan and Alex Whitlock (filling in for host Phil Tarrant) on The Smart Property Investment Show.
In what is a broad-ranging informal chat, Cam shares his thoughts on the post-COVID market by reflecting on previous market cycles. He touches on property performance, repetitive trends, understanding the difference between good debt and bad debt, co-investing, and more.
Cam’s personal journey
Cam also shares his personal journey and how he got his lightbulb moment at a young age while listening to his parents argue over an unfortunate investing experience.
“Right then, I knew I wanted a better financial future for my future family,” Cam recalls.
Despite his young age, Cam recognised that property was where the money was, and set about learning as much as possible about investing.
After working multiple jobs to scrape together a deposit to purchase his first property – a property, incidentally, he still holds today – Cam had taken the first big step in what has become a prosperous journey for himself and his family.
Stories & lessons learned
If you’re interested in hearing how a successful long-term investor kicked off his property journey, and the stories and lessons he learned along the way, you’ll get a lot of value from this episode!
EPISODE #18 – Building the foundations of a high-performing property portfolio (Part 3 – unpacking the MAP process)
The rubber hits the road in this episode, the third of a ‘mini-series’ focusing on what’s involved in building the foundations of a high-performing property portfolio.
Cam McLellan and Michael ‘Boz’ Beresford are back again, and this time they’re taking us through the MAP Process.
This is an investment process Cam developed some 15 years ago; critically, it guides everything from a client perspective here at OpenCorp.
According to Cam, the MAP process is all about eliminating markets, areas and properties in order to select the right investment property.
MAP stands for Market, Area, Property.
Cam says the MAP process is the opposite way to how many investors pick a property. Many people take a random approach to property investment, which can be very hit and miss.
As in all businesses, there should be processes in place to make sure you get the best outcome every time. In the case of property, these processes should be in place so you don’t end up with a rotten egg in your investment portfolio.
This is a really enlightening episode for aspiring property investors, rich in insights borne from many years of ‘in-the-trenches’ investing experience.
Want to know more? Check out this video in which Cam and his business partner Al Lewison explain the MAP process in more detail.
EPISODE #17 – Cam & Matt discuss economics, government stimulus, stamp duty, ResiFund, mortgage brokers & educating kids about money
Cam McLellan sits down with his colleague, Matt Lewison, OpenCorp’s self-confessed ‘data nerd’, for a wide-ranging chat about Australia’s economic landscape and the knock-on effect for property markets.
Cam stresses the importance of:
- resetting your mindset
- getting yourself financially fit, and
- taking action!
Matt explains how governments are providing stimulus for the market, including how some state-based stamp duty taxes are being phased out and what that means for investors.
(If you’d like to read more about stamp duty, this article on the OpenCorp blog might be of interest – Why the stamp duty changes could light a rocket under Australia)
The pair discuss ResiFund, a new co-investing platform making property investment simple and accessible. ResiFund is suitable for a number of different types of investors, including those transitioning to the retirement phase of their investment journey.
Cam and Matt also touch on the importance of choosing the right mortgage broker, one that understands property investment.
If you enjoyed this episode of BRICK TO THE FUTURE, why not subscribe via your podcast app of choice and never miss an episode!
EPISODE #16 – Building the foundations of a high-performing property portfolio (Part 2 – assembling your team)
In this episode, Cam McLellan and Michael ‘Boz’ Beresford get back to basics in what is the second of a three-part ‘mini-series’ focusing on what’s involved in building the foundations of a high-performing property portfolio.
(Click here to listen to Part 1 of building the foundations of a high-performing property portfolio).
A critical part of successful investing is setting up your team. This includes getting professionals onboard who can fill some or all of the following roles:
- Mortgage broker
- Property adviser
- Conveyancer
- Accountant
- Financial planner
- Insurance broker
“Whoever you might need in your team, that’s your team,” says Boz.
Each specialist will have a specific role to play, so make sure you engage professionals who are competent in their area of expertise.
For example, it’s best not to use a ‘garden variety’ mortgage broker whose experience is confined to writing home loans.
“A mortgage broker that understands investment structures is probably the most important asset to your team”, says Boz.
According to Cam and Boz, your team is there to support you on your investment journey, to help you move forward with confidence, so it’s critical to get it right.
EPISODE #15 – Why 2021 is tipped to be a big year for Aussie property investors
WELCOME TO SEASON 2 OF THE BRICK TO THE FUTURE PODCAST
This episode is a replay of a conversation between OpenCorp directors Cam McLellan and Michael ‘Boz’ Beresford, and Alex Whitlock (filling in for host Phil Tarrant) on The Smart Property Investment Show.
Cam and Boz explain how OpenCorp’s data analytics team stepped up to the plate in 2020, steering the company’s course during what was a volatile and uncertain year.
As businesses Australia-wide scaled back at the onset of COVID restrictions back in March, OpenCorp tripled its workforce to meet the needs of its 1500 clients.
Cam and Boz share how OpenCorp stayed ahead of the curve, offering stability and certainty to its clients in such an unstable economic environment.
The pair also discuss the path out of lockdown, how the economy and the property market shifted into growth, how to find value in today’s market, and forecasts for 2021.
If you’re keen to get a better understanding of the ins and outs of the Australian property market and where it currently sits, you’ll enjoy this wide-ranging discussion!
