The Scottish Property Podcast

No guests. No filter. Just Nick and Steven saying what everyone in property is thinking.

From deal sourcers pressuring investors to buy in minutes, to buyers pulling out of flips at the last second, dodgy sourcers, LinkedIn inbox chaos, ego-driven cliques in the Scottish property community, and yes — American tipping culture at Starbucks drive-throughs.

This is the Scottish Property Podcast rants episode. It always does well. You'll know why by the end.

🕐 TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Welcome to the rants episode
03:00 – Cold pitching in our Facebook community group
08:00 – LinkedIn inbox: why Steven doesn't go on it anymore
12:00 – Deal sourcers rushing investors into decisions
18:00 – The 6-minute deal — how much due diligence is that?
24:00 – Younger investors trying to keep up with social media portfolios
29:00 – A sourcer called Natalie — the community calling it out
34:00 – Steven's Florida rant: Starbucks drive-through tipping culture
40:00 – Scotland's property system: buyers pulling out with no consequences
47:00 – Three flips, two fall-throughs — the real cost of the Scottish system
52:00 – Non-refundable deposits: should they be the norm?
57:00 – Letting agents: the three-quotes rabbit hole
1:03:00 – Egos and cliques in the Scottish property community
1:10:00 – Going to other people's events — why Steven loves it
1:15:00 – Copying in business: where's the line?
1:20:00 – Every fucker's got a podcast now
1:24:00 – Wrap up, sponsors & G4 Studios shoutout

🔑 KEY TOPICS
✅ Why rushed deal sourcing is putting new investors at risk
✅ How to do due diligence on a sourcer before you spend a penny
✅ The case for non-refundable deposits in Scottish property sales
✅ Why cliques are killing the Scottish property community
✅ Cold pitching in Facebook groups — add value first
✅ Tipping culture in the US — a rant we all needed to hear

📅 NETWORKING EVENTS
First Wednesday of every month
📍 Aberdeen | Dundee | Edinburgh | Glasgow
Follow our socials for speakers and details

🎙️ ABOUT SCOTTISH PROPERTY PODCAST
Real conversations about Scottish property. No fluff, no filter — just honest talk from people in the trenches.

💬 What's YOUR biggest property rant? Drop it in the comments 👇

17 years in the Royal Air Force. Iraq. Afghanistan. The Falklands. Then he walked away — 3 years short of a guaranteed pension — to go all in on property. 🏠In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Ross Orrock — deal sourcer, property investor, and one of the most honest voices in the industry. Ross doesn't just talk about wins. He talks about the Samuel Leeds course that cost him £12k, the social housing Hmos that turned the community against him, the £44-unit rent-to-rent scheme that turned out to be a nationwide scam, and the Grade 2 listed cottage that cost him £90k in losses.250 deals later, Ross is still standing — and his story is one every property investor needs to hear.🕐 TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Intro: 17 years RAF, walking away from the pension04:00 – Deployments: Iraq, Afghanistan & 4 months on a Falklands mountaintop09:00 – The breaking point — missing 800 days of his daughter's life14:00 – Discovering Samuel Leeds on YouTube while deployed19:00 – Spending £12k inheritance on a property course24:00 – Starting from zero: divorced, sleeping on his grandad's couch29:00 – Why he chose deal sourcing over rent to rent34:00 – Building his personal brand on Instagram from scratch39:00 – Investor first vs deal first — Ross's strong take44:00 – The budget HMO years: cheap terraces, chaos, and high turnover50:00 – Social housing & asylum seeker contracts — bricks through windows57:00 – The City Gate scam: £44 units, a pyramid scheme, and a £96k investor loss1:06:00 – How it destroyed his reputation (and how he rebuilt it)1:12:00 – Why he ditched HMOs and went all in on buy to let1:18:00 – The Grade 2 listed cottage disaster — a £90k lesson1:26:00 – Building his own portfolio: 10 buy to lets and counting1:32:00 – How to onboard investors and weed out time wasters1:38:00 – Northeast property market: where to invest and what to spend1:44:00 – Oric Property: sourcing, lettings & estate agency🔑 KEY TOPICS✅ Leaving the military 3 years short of a full pension✅ The honest truth about property courses — are they worth it?✅ Why budget HMOs are a trap (and what works instead)✅ The City Gate rent-to-rent scam exposed✅ Social housing & asylum seeker contracts — the real story✅ Why Ross never puts his name against third-party builders✅ Investors first vs deals first — the debate settled✅ Long term capital growth vs cash flow — where the real wealth is✅ Northeast England property: areas, prices & what to expect🎙️ ABOUT SCOTTISH PROPERTY PODCASTReal conversations with real property investors. No fluff — the wins, the losses, and everything in between.👍 Like if you found this valuable💬 Have you ever been caught out by a property scam? Drop it in the comments 👇

At 23 years old, Taylor McNeillie has built a £700k property portfolio — mortgage free — while running a retail business doing over £1 million a year. And he still lives at home. 🏠

In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Taylor to hear the full story: from reselling Yeezys at 12 years old and skipping class to cop Supreme drops, to opening Empire Glasgow at 18, scaling to £1.8 million in revenue, and quietly buying 10 properties in cash before most people his age have a savings account.

This one is packed with lessons on business, money, social media, and why building a cash-generating business first might be the smartest property strategy of all.

🕐 TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Intro: Taylor's story in numbers
02:30 – Growing up in East Dorsetshire & early entrepreneurial spark
06:00 – Reselling Yeezys at 12 using his dad's credit card
11:00 – Supreme drops from the school toilet at 11am
16:00 – Building the Empire Glasgow Instagram page
22:00 – Covid hits — and changes everything
27:00 – Opening the pop-up in Princes Square at 18
33:00 – Going full time: signing the long-term lease
38:00 – Silverburn Christmas pop-up & £790k quarter
43:00 – Running 9 staff at 19 — winging it and winning
49:00 – Revenue peaks at £1.8M — then the Yeezy disaster
55:00 – Business rates, retail challenges & Glasgow high street
1:02:00 – The property lightbulb moment & 500k sitting in the bank
1:08:00 – First deal: 2-bed in Cambuslang for £65k (never seen it)
1:14:00 – Buying mortgage free — the no-debt philosophy
1:20:00 – TikTok, the £28k flat and the "parasite landlord" comments
1:28:00 – 10 properties, £700k portfolio, still at home with mum
1:34:00 – Future plans: portfolio deals, refinancing & commercial property

🔑 KEY TOPICS
✅ How Taylor built £500k in business profit before touching property
✅ Buying 10 properties mortgage free in under 2 years
✅ Why he treats tenants like customers
✅ Using social media to find off-market deals
✅ The Yeezy stock crisis — and how he handled it
✅ Business rates in Glasgow & the retail landscape
✅ Why Taylor avoids serviced accommodation and shiny penny strategies
✅ His plan to refinance a portfolio deal and scale further

📲 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
🏪 Empire Glasgow — Princes Square & Buchanan Street, Glasgow
🔑 Kyle Black — property sourcing
🔑 Callum McWilliam — Rapid Removals & sourcing
📊 Slater Hogg — letting agents

🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode
👍 Like if you found this valuable
💬 What do you think of the no-mortgage approach? Drop it in the comments 👇

The Scottish election is days away — and if you're a property investor or landlord, what happens on May 7th actually matters. 🗳️In this market update, Nick and Steven cut through the political noise and break down exactly what each party's housing policies mean for landlords, investors, and anyone trying to build a portfolio in Scotland right now.From ADS cuts to rent controls, council tax hikes of up to 500%, first-time buyer grants, and a housing building crisis — this one is packed with real talk on the policies that will shape the Scottish property market for years to come.🕐 TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Intro: why this election matters to property investors02:00 – Election overview: latest polls & party predictions06:00 – Reform's rise in Scotland & what it means10:00 – ADS (Additional Dwelling Supplement): party by party breakdown18:00 – LBTT: who wants to cut it, scrap it, or raise it?24:00 – Multiple Dwellings Relief (MDR): is it safe?28:00 – Rent controls: CPI+1% capped at 6% — is that fair?35:00 – Council tax: the 500% increase in Midlothian explained42:00 – Short-term lets, Airbnb & the small business bonus loophole closing48:00 – Edinburgh tourist levy from July 202652:00 – First-time buyers: right to buy & the £10k SNP grant1:00:00 – House building targets: will any party actually deliver?1:08:00 – The £307k social house in Clydebank worth £200k1:18:00 – Build to rent, private equity & what Scotland needs1:25:00 – Energy, North Sea drilling & the Norway comparison1:30:00 – Who are they voting for? Networking events & wrap-up🔑 KEY TOPICS✅ ADS breakdown by party — Tories want to cut from 8% to 4%✅ Rent controls: CPI+1% capped at 6% — what it means for you✅ Council tax on second homes — up to 500% in some areas✅ Short-term let licence & small business bonus scheme changes✅ SNP's right to buy proposal & £10k first-time buyer grant✅ Why Scotland's house building targets keep getting missed✅ The social housing cost crisis & impact on private developers✅ Edinburgh's 5% tourist levy coming July 2026
💬 Drop your questions or opinions in the comments — who are YOU voting for?

No inheritance. No safety net. No excuses. 🏗️Jason Kelly grew up in Linwood with a single mum, survived a car crash that killed the driver at 15, and spent over a decade working offshore in oil and gas — earning decent money but going nowhere fast. Then he discovered property, went all-in, and hasn't looked back.In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Jason tells the full story — the real numbers, the mistakes, and the mindset that got him from selling his first flat to managing multiple refurbs, sourcing off-market deals, and building a portfolio using investor finance.If you're waiting for the "right time" to start — this episode is for you.🕐 EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:00:00 – Introduction & Cadbury's Heroes02:00 – Growing up in Linwood: humble beginnings06:30 – The car accident that changed everything12:00 – Leaving school & landing an oil & gas apprenticeship18:00 – Life offshore: the money, the lifestyle, the downsides26:00 – Becoming disillusioned with the rat race31:00 – Discovering property through a two-day event36:00 – First deal sourced & selling the Shawlands flat43:00 – Living in a flip (don't do this)50:00 – Going full-time in property in April 202456:00 – Project managing refurbs & building a team1:05:00 – Sourcing off-market deals & working with investors1:12:00 – The assisted sale that made £30k (and the Celtic legend connection)1:20:00 – Social media, TikTok investors & getting slaughtered offshore1:27:00 – The Hamilton Starbucks networking event1:32:00 – Where to find Jason🔑 KEY TOPICS✅ Leaving a well-paid job to go full-time in property✅ Funding your first deals with no cash using investor finance✅ Buy-to-let, flips & assisted sales — what actually works✅ Why project management fees are worth every penny✅ Finding off-market deals through relationships (not Rightmove)✅ Building a property portfolio in Scotland from scratch✅ Growing a property business through social media