The Scottish Property Podcast

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

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💬 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

In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Adam Boyd — entrepreneur, Amazon FBA operator, and property investor. Adam shares his journey from experimenting with multiple failed business ideas to building and selling an Amazon business for a life-changing sum, before scaling into a portfolio of e-commerce brands and property investments.
From selling hand sanitiser during lockdown to spotting an opportunity in simple spray bottles, Adam’s story highlights the power of taking action, learning through failure, and recognising opportunities at the right time. He also opens up about transitioning into property, completing multiple flips, and acquiring a 13-property portfolio with minimal money left in the deal.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🌟 Early Entrepreneurial Mindset
• Started young, constantly testing business ideas from his bedroom
• Tried multiple ventures including eBay selling and early Amazon attempts
• Learned through failure rather than formal education
• Strong drive to avoid a “normal” career and pursue business full-time

📦 Amazon Journey & First Breakthrough
• Initially failed with several Amazon product launches
• Took advantage of lockdown demand by selling hand sanitiser
• Pivoted quickly when restrictions hit and moved into cleaning products
• Identified a key opportunity in high-demand spray bottles during COVID

🚀 Scaling a Simple Product into a Real Business
• Invested £20k (bounce back loan) into bulk spray bottle stock
• Solved supply issues by going direct to the manufacturer
• Shifted to Amazon FBA to automate fulfilment and scale
• Grew sales rapidly, reaching consistent monthly revenue

💰 Selling the Business & Building Wealth
• Built the business in under a year before listing it for sale
• Sold for approximately £250,000 — a life-changing moment
• Retained equity and continued running the business post-sale
• Became part of a larger group acquiring multiple Amazon businesses

🌍 Scaling Through Acquisitions
• Transitioned from seller to buyer of online businesses
• Helped acquire and operate multiple e-commerce brands globally
• Portfolio now generating millions in annual revenue
• Focus shifted to systems, scalability, and long-term growth

🏡 Entering Property & First Flip
• Used business profits to enter property investing
• Completed first flip in East Kilbride with ~£30k profit
• Learned key lessons around costs, margins, and project timelines
• Built confidence to scale further in property

📈 Scaling Property & Portfolio Deal
• Completed multiple flips generating consistent profits
• Took on a 13-property portfolio worth £1.3M
• Negotiated purchase at £862k — significant discount
• Used bridging finance and refinancing strategy
• Left only ~£1,000 in the deal after refinancing

⚠️ Lessons, Mistakes & Realities
• Made early mistakes (no insurance, unnecessary certificates, compliance gaps)
• Learned importance of systems, due diligence, and planning
• Highlighted true costs of portfolio deals (fees, finance, legal)
• Emphasised that failures and mistakes are part of growth

✅ Key Takeaways
✔️ Taking action and learning through failure is key to success
✔️ Simple products can become highly profitable with the right timing
✔️ Amazon FBA allows scalability through automation and systems
✔️ Selling a business doesn’t always mean exiting — equity can multiply returns
✔️ Property flips require significant margins to be worthwhile
✔️ Portfolio deals can be powerful but come with high upfront costs
✔️ Bridging finance can unlock bigger opportunities when used correctly
✔️ Systems and outsourcing are essential for scaling both business and property
✔️ Long-term wealth comes from leveraging opportunities, not just saving money