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Here’s a surprising fact: Many of the country’s most successful “mum and dad” property investors are significantly under qualified when it comes to building a property portfolio.

No, they’re not ‘lucky’, and no, they’re not a part of an exclusive ‘inner circle’ that tells them when and where to buy—instead, they rely on the expertise of professionals for every step of their journey.

Buying a property is obviously a costly exercise, yet the potential upside (and conversely the potential downside) is HUGE depending on the actions you take.

Expert advice may…

• Help you make more educated decisions. Engaging an expert team will give you access to strategies and tactics that other people have spent years and tens of thousands of dollars to learn. You can ‘stand on the shoulder of giants’.
  
• Help you avoid emotional decisions. Engaging an expert team will give you the opportunity to make an investment decision completely devoid of any emotional influences.  Sure, you want to “love” the home you live in. But most of the positive qualities of an investment property are assessed on a spreadsheet, and a spreadsheet only.
  
• Help you gain wealth faster. Professional strategies give you professional results. This is the same for wealth creation. An expert team will give you strategies that help you grow your wealth faster, and with less effort and ‘guesswork’ from you.
  
• Help you save more tax. The taxation compliance environment is not easy to navigate. An expert team will unlock specialised taxation advantages and benefits that you may not be aware of. 

Sure, you may need to pay for some of these services. However, they should be perceived as an investment—ie. they make you money in the medium to long term.

Let’s look at the nine property professionals you need on your side…

1. Accountant

An accountant helps you navigate the complex investment taxation environment, with the goal of ensuring you remain compliant and achieve the best possible taxation outcome. An accountant may also:

• Help you implement and manage a SMSF, trust and/or other entities
• Provide assistance with negative gearing strategies
• Suggest strategies to lower your exposure to risk
• Help you maintain appropriate record keeping

2. Financial Planner

A financial planner provides you with a clearly defined plan for reaching your wealth goals (which, for most people, is the REAL reason you’re investing in property). They’ll take your current financial situation and create a roadmap showing how much your wealth could grow over time, using a combination of suggested investment vehicles and tax-saving strategies.

A financial planner will usually work alongside your accountant to create the best possible outcomes for you, whilst managing your exposure to risk. They may also help you plan your next investment property, alongside your Trilogy Funding specialist mortgage broker.

Some financial planners may provide advice into which property(ies) to purchase.

3. Conveyancer

A conveyancer is a lawyer who specialises in property transactions and the legal elements of buying and selling property. The most common tasks of a conveyancer include:

• Checking the validity of property contracts
• Organising council searches of a property
• Researching other elements of a property eg. Building structure approvals
• Ensuring a smooth financial transaction occurs on the day of settlement

4. Buyers’ Agent

A buyers’ agent finds and secures the most ideal properties on your behalf. They do all of the heavy lifting when it comes to creating a property shortlist (for you to review), and may engage agents and/or property owners during the negotiation process.

Depending on their level of service, a buyers’ agent may look at different strengths and weaknesses of a property, including its yield, street/suburb growth, local vacancy numbers, access to public transport, and more.

Additionally, a buyers’ agent may have access to off-market or ‘not publicly available’ stock or offers, that could benefit you, the investor. For example, through their network a buyers’ agent may be able to access a property for sale at 90% of its market value. This means you, the purchaser gain 10% in equity as soon as you purchase it.

5. Property Manager

A property manager sets a competitive rental strategy for your property and finds, vets, and manages a tenant.

Partnering with a skilled and proactive property manager can add significant upside to each property, and strategies like yield optimisation (where weekly rent is gradually increased) and the prevention of unnecessary vacancies can add thousands of dollars each year to cashflow and capital growth.

See this article here to learn more about finding a property manager who’ll add value to your portfolio.  

6. Insurer

An insurer will provide you with a set of policies that protect your property(ies) from different types of risk. An insurer will also help you satisfy the insurance requirements of lenders, who usually require that your property is insured in case of catastrophic damage. Types of insurance available to investors include:

• Home insurance (protecting the property’s structure)
• Contents insurance (if your property is furnished)
• Landlord insurance (if a tenant damages your property)

7. Building & Pest Inspectors (And Pest Control)

A building and pest inspector does exactly that: they inspect a building for structural issues and the presence of insects, vermin, and other wildlife. Inspectors usually use technical equipment such as thermal cameras to check inside of walls, ceiling, and floor cavities.

Whilst pest inspectors are sometimes not needed when purchasing a new property, it can be beneficial to engage a pest control company at the start of a building’s life so you can implement a suitable pest control program (to protect your asset).

8. Quantity Surveyor

A quantity surveyor provides a depreciation schedule for certain structural elements and fittings of new properties, so you can claim depreciation as a loss in your tax return. A quantity surveyor must be accredited by the ATO.

9. Mortgage Broker

A mortgage broker helps you determine the most suitable loans and/or lending products for your goals.

If you’re a new property investor, a specialist mortgage broker like Trilogy Funding should be your first port of call. They’ll analyse your current situation and give you a clear understanding of your lending capacity before you apply to a bank. This saves you time and gives you a broader set of options to choose from.

Plus, a specialist mortgage broker will set you up with the correct loan and loan structure so you’ll experience less growing pains in the future (Side note: we see many experienced investors being held back by restrictive loan products or poorly considered lending configurations). 

If you’re an experienced investor, you may be experiencing issues unlocking equity and/or borrowing more money. Speak with a specialist broker at Trilogy Funding to see if you can reconfigure your portfolio for stronger growth.

Key Benefit: Purchasing A Property ‘Site Unseen’

One of the biggest benefits of engaging a team of experts is that investors can purchase a site ‘unseen’ — which means purchasing a property without ever stepping foot inside it. Unless you’re a property expert, there’s not much non-emotional value you can provide an investment decision of this size.

A key benefit of this strategy is that investors can have a nationwide portfolio, which may lead to better overall portfolio growth.

Get Started

The team at Trilogy specialise in helping investors get a better loan with a lower rate, more favourable terms and conditions, and the right structure for maximum return on investment.

The quickest and easiest way to learn more is to request a Free 30-Minute Finance Strategy Session during which you will…

• Get an up-to-date picture of the lending landscape including rates, conditions, and how to structure loans for cashflow positive investors
• Gain greater clarity over where you want to be in terms of owning investment properties (and how to structure your loans to get there the fastest, safest way)
• Discover how to unlock the equity in your current properties, so you can build your portfolio – and your wealth – faster (and enjoy a better lifestyle now and in retirement)
• Discover clever, no-cost ways to save money on interest, fees, and charges — immediately
• Learn about our process to find you a better loan that will save you thousands.

This no-obligation free session will be held with one of our experienced mortgage brokers who specialise in structuring cashflow positive property investments.

Please be assured this will not be a thinly disguised sales presentation. On the contrary, you’ll receive our best strategic advice, specific to your situation, so you too can accumulate multiple properties without sacrificing your current lifestyle and accelerate your progress towards wealth.

Schedule Your FREE 30-Minute Finance Strategy Session Today

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Please note, the numbers and assumptions listed in this article are for educational purposes only. Individuals should seek specific advice pertaining to their unique situation and the real estate market before making any decisions.

Trilogy Funding Two is a corporate credit representative (Representative Number 506131) of BLSSA Pty Ltd, ACN 117 651 760 (Australian Credit Licence 391237)