The Scottish Property Podcast

• What Every Investor Should Know Before Doing a JV Flip with Michelle de Almeida

  In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Michelle de Almeida — business coach, entrepreneur, and property investor. Michelle shares her inspiring journey from a 20-year career in hospitality and corporate management to building a thriving property portfolio and multiple successful businesses.Growing up in a working-class family near Liverpool and Manchester, Michelle learned the value of hard work early on. After managing 67 pubs across Scotland for Wetherspoons and running her own restaurant in Portugal, a major health challenge led her to reassess her life and priorities. Today, she’s the founder of Lux Escapes UK and MDA Business, helping others achieve financial freedom and personal growth through property and coaching.🎙️ Episode Highlights🌟 From Humble Beginnings to HospitalityGrowing up in Cheshire in a working-class familyBuilding a strong work ethic from her parents’ exampleSpending over 20 years in hospitality, including six years running a restaurant in PortugalManaging 67 pubs as a Regional Manager for Wetherspoons before leaving corporate life💼 Finding Purpose After Corporate BurnoutLeaving her corporate role after a health setback and lack of supportBecoming CEO of a Coca-Cola–funded non-profit in DundeeHelping thousands of women and micro-businesses out of povertyTransitioning naturally into business coaching and launching MDA Business🏡 Entering the Property WorldCompleting property training in January and buying her first property in AprilPartnering with her brother, Paul, who now manages over 40 viewings a monthFocusing on Serviced Accommodation (SA) and Aparthotels as her main strategyBuilding a business model that generates high cash flow and long-term financial freedom📈 Growth, Strategy & ChallengesSetting a goal of 200 keys (units/beds) to achieve true financial independenceRaising private capital with a minimum £100,000 investment thresholdAvoiding small Buy-to-Lets in favour of scalable, cash-flowing SA unitsOvercoming one of her toughest weeks in property — losing a deal, investor, and remortgage all in one dayNavigating short-term let licensing challenges in Scotland and rising council tax costs💬 Mindset & MotivationUsing multiple business and mindset coaches to stay focused and resilientManaging 12–14 hour workdays with energy and purposeMaintaining perspective through movement, conversation, and mindset workPlanning future growth in St Andrews, Crieff, Montrose, and Cheshire--------------------------------------------------- Know someone looking to sell? Send the guys at Prime a message now.----------------------------------------------------Follow us on all of our social media accounts and join our monthly networking events in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dundee! CLICK HERE

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• The Self-Employed Estate Agency Model That's Changing the Market with Ev Foster

  In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Ev Foster, Regional Partner for Keller Williams Scotland. Ev shares her journey from being a stay-at-home mother of four to leading the growth of Keller Williams into a nationwide estate agency brand.After facing financial struggles following a divorce, Ev explored franchising and traditional estate agency work before discovering the Keller Williams model. She explains how the self-employed agent model empowers individuals, provides flexibility, and delivers a more personal service to clients compared to the traditional estate agency model she believes is “broken.”🎙️ Episode Highlights:🌟 From Mum to EntrepreneurJuggling life as a stay-at-home mother of fourFacing financial pressure after divorce and needing to rebuildFirst steps into business with a ladies’ gym franchise and traditional estate agency work🏡 Discovering Keller WilliamsSpotting the KW model as a low-cost, low-risk entry into self-employmentStarting as a self-employed agent in 2017/2018Balancing financial independence with family flexibility📈 Scaling with the KW Business ModelReturning in 2020 to lead the Glasgow market centerHow KW provides training, support, and systems for agents to grow their own businessesWhy she believes the traditional estate agency model is brokenThe rapid growth from zero to over 80 agents across Scotland🚀 Keller Williams Scotland TodayAchieving the five-year goal of becoming a separate region in January 2025Building a business that thrives in towns and villages, not just big citiesRecruiting agents from non-traditional backgroundsPlacing a strong focus on values, culture, and leadership development----------------------------------------------------Know someone looking to sell? Send the guys at Prime a message now: ----------------------------------------------------Follow us on all of our social media accounts and join our monthly networking events in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dundee!

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• From Corporate Life to Property Freedom: Elain McLaren's Story

  In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Elaine McLaren, chartered management accountant turned property investor. Elaine shares her journey from growing up in Scotstoun with early exposure to renovations, to leaving behind the corporate mould and building a portfolio designed to give her family more freedom and flexibility.From watching Homes Under the Hammer to investing £15,000 in property training, Elaine reveals the importance of vision boards, long-term planning, and staying focused on why you started. She also opens up about her successes, lessons learned, and her evolving strategy — from building buy-to-lets to flipping properties and taking on HMOs.🎙️ Episode Highlights🌟 Early Influences & Corporate LifeGrowing up around property thanks to her father’s renovation projectsPursuing a corporate career as a chartered management accountantRealising she didn’t fit the corporate mould and wanting more flexibility🏡 Getting Started in PropertyInspired by a colleague with 13 properties and Homes Under the HammerInvesting £15,000 in training and waiting a year before buying her first dealWhy she believes education was worth the investment🎯 Building a Vision & PortfolioSetting her first goal: 12 properties to leave her job and focus on family lifeThe power of vision boards to stay motivated and productiveGrowing her portfolio with her husband, including four properties in St Andrews🔑 Lessons & AdviceDo your due diligence before investing in training programmesWhen planning for retirement, set your financial target — then add two more propertiesWhy involving your partner can strengthen your property journey🚀 Current Focus & Future PlansWorking on flips and managing an HMOFeeling like she’s “drifting” without a strong new visionSetting her next big goal: helping her husband retire so they can enjoy more holidays and freedom together

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• The SEO Agency Owner Who Cracked Property Fast with Graham Grieve

  In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Graham Reeves, digital marketing entrepreneur, property investor, and founder of an SEO agency that ranks number one for “SEO Glasgow.” Graham shares his journey from struggling with dyslexia at school and working as a chef, to building a thriving online business and scaling a growing buy-to-let portfolio.🎙️ Episode Highlights🌟 From Kitchen Chaos to Business HustleGrowing up in Newton Mearns and overcoming challenges with dyslexiaWorking his way up from dishwasher to chef before leaving hospitalityLearning sales skills through commission-only work and early entrepreneurial ventures💻 Building an SEO BusinessWhy college proved valuable but university felt like “too much fluff”Starting in digital marketing and discovering SEOScaling his SEO agency during Covid through Facebook ads and ranking #1 on GoogleRecruiting and managing a global remote team across South Africa, the Philippines, and SerbiaTips for hiring and retaining top overseas talent🏡 Property Investing JourneyEntering property in 2023 after realising the need to invest profits wiselyFirst six properties: leaving £27,000 in each but gaining £300/month net cashflowLearning BRR strategies and sourcing portfolios through a solicitorLatest deal: six-property portfolio with £7,500 left in each unit, generating £2,000 net per monthWhy he believes portfolios are the way forward🤖 AI & The Future of BusinessHow AI is transforming SEO and content with Google’s AI overviewsUsing ChatGPT to build scrapers and source landlords with large portfoliosLeveraging AI to analyse CRM data, Zoom calls, and sales patternsWhy he believes trades and service jobs are safe, but knowledge work is rapidly changingFrom hustling cigarettes in the schoolyard to launching a marketing agency during Covid, Graham explains how his entrepreneurial mindset has shaped both his business and property journey. He also opens up about investing in property after a period of overspending, his strategy for buying portfolios, and how he’s using AI to source deals and streamline his workflow.

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• Why Your Photos Are Costing You Thousands with Philip Stewart

  In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Phillip Stewart, a property investor and professional property photographer. Phillip shares his journey from a passion for landscape photography to building a successful property media business – and how he’s now using that platform to grow his property portfolio.Phillip talks about working with estate agents, developers, and investors, and explains why professional photography can make or break a property listing. He also opens up about the challenges of starting his own business during COVID, the importance of branding, and how photography has given him a unique advantage when sourcing and investing in property.🎙️ Episode Highlights:🌟 From Passion to ProfessionDiscovering photography at school and turning a hobby into a careerWinning national and international awards in landscape photographyMoving into property photography with McEwan Fraser Legal🏡 Building a Property Media BusinessGaining experience with estate agents before launching his own companyStarting out during COVID while facing tough restrictionsGrowing a team of freelancers and scaling the business across Scotland📸 Why Property Photography MattersHow professional photos, videos, and floorplans boost sales and brandingCase studies showing the difference high-quality marketing can makeBreaking down packages, costs, and the value delivered to agents and investors💬 Property Investing & Personal GrowthUsing his media business profits to buy his first rental propertyTraining with Darren & Jillian Green and planning future HMOs and SA unitsBalancing business growth with family life as a husband and father of two----------------------------------------------------Know someone looking to sell? Send the guys at Prime a message now: https://wa.me/447938603856----------------------------------------------------Follow us on all of our social media accounts and join our monthly networking events in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dundee!Vist: https://linktr.ee/scottishpropertypodcast

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