South African Civil Engineers make brilliant property investors.

There are two things I appreciate about Civil Engineers:

1. They think analytically and
2. They’re methodical. This resonates with me.

So let me get to the crux of this article: In the next few paragraphs, I’m going to share with you five tips and pain points that you can use to optimise your property portfolio.

This is not an advertorial or an elevator pitch, this is me sharing actionable goals based on almost two decades of experience optimising my own property portfolio.

As someone who is used to running the numbers for the benefit of others, let's see what we can do to help you reap the benefits now.

Maybe you’ve always invested in property commercially, but how does that translate to doing so privately? What areas are hot for investment? Which other avenues can be tapped into for accessing additional finance? What about mitigating risks that pertain to tax and asset protection or access to finance?

I can give you clarity and detailed direction on how to create multiple streams of income - a blueprint for investment success. I walk the talk: I started investing in the UK several years ago where my company focused on the acquisition of multi-tenant properties. Expanding operations into Cape Town where the business further focused on short-term capital generating strategies.

Even the members of my team are property entrepreneurs, with over 200 years of combined experience. Hence, we don’t just teach theory.

1. Setting up the Structure

They say any successful business has a solid foundation. Why would it be any different with your property portfolio?

The adage ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’, will certainly ring true in the field of civil engineering. You would never dream of starting a project without the necessary preparation and within a predetermined and planned out structure.

Without planning, your project can easily run into delays and penalties. Your property portfolio needs that same dedication to secure a proper outcome. You have to be the draughtsman of your own blueprint to structure the growth of your portfolio.

A basic structure would incorporate:

1. Unpacking the complexities of dealing with trusts
2. Doing due diligence and being clear on how to stress test a deal
3. Putting a progressive investment strategy for expansion in place
4. Enhancing tax efficiency across your portfolio
5. Establishing a structure analysis to decrease exposure
6. Identifying exit strategies to mitigate your risk
7. Considering alternative creative finance options

2. Accurate deal analysis

You work in an industry where if the calculations don’t add up you have a serious problem on your hands. Do you have the data you need to make an informed property decision? Are those numbers accurate?

Property management cannot function off of speculation and guesswork.

Do you have the right service providers and partners in place to ensure success and wealth creation? Ask yourself whether the deal you’re considering corresponds with the strategy that you put in place. Do you have the necessary deal evaluation tools to mitigate risk?

What you need is a market related rental income figure… and a benchmark.

3. A qualified and professional sounding board

We all have our areas of expertise. You wouldn’t discuss the design and construction of a sewage system with a lawyer.

Consulting the correct specialist, instead of talking to a friend or a colleague, would be infinitely more beneficial.

The days of garnering property management advice from someone seemingly more successful than you during a round of golf is no longer best practice (if it ever was). That’s because what seems to work for Peter won’t necessarily work for Paula.

4. What are you losing?

It’s one thing to consider potential income streams but have you calculated your potential loss? You need expert advice to ensure exponential growth in your current portfolio.

When we do things for the first time, we make mistakes despite our best intentions. Mistakes cost us time. Loss of time causes frustration - costing you productivity and potentially even the ability to secure more deals. It takes expertise to nullify the impact of uncertainty and insecurity.

Liquidity and asset and finance protection is a fantastic goal, but something I value even more than this is what I refer to as life-wealth. Life-wealth is more than just money, it’s the ability to take time to live a rich life too.

Want to spend more time with family? What does your life-wealth look like?
If you don’t know you’re losing out.

5. You already have the skills, now get the blueprint

The analytical and methodical approaches you apply to be a trusted and successful Civil Engineer, are traits that have a linear correlation with the world of property investing.

You already have the skills and the building blocks. You just need the blueprint to work from.

Warren Buffett said; “Never invest in a business you cannot understand.”

Let’s engage and start putting a structure in place to enable your analytical mind to create real-life wealth.

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