In this episode, Sam chats with a 21-year-old real estate developer making waves in Bali’s booming property scene. From selling his first land deal at 19 to managing turnkey villa and commercial developments across the Bukit Peninsula and Lombok, he shares the ins and outs of navigating Bali’s complex land laws, building trust with local communities, and growing a full-service consultancy Island Properties Realty

Key Topics:

• The surprising story of how a surf-loving Aussie became a Bali property developer
• Navigating leasehold vs. freehold in Indonesia
• How to build trust and do ethical land deals in Bali
• The power of community, respect, and relationships in real estate
• Why commercial properties may now be smarter investments than villas
• Scaling a boutique, referral-driven business into a full consultancy

Resources Mentioned:

• Island Properties Realty – Instagram
• Jellyfish Villas — The villa property developed by his parents, now a full-fledged hospitality venture

Timestamped Highlights:

[00:00] — Recording from Jellyfish Villas: where the story began
 [01:15] — How his parents left Australia to build a new life in Bali
 [03:00] — From selling surfboards to selling land
 [04:40] — His first land deal and flipping his own block at 19
 [06:20] — Explaining the difference between leasehold vs. freehold in Bali
 [09:00] — How local friendships helped him gain unique access to land
 [11:00] — Transforming a Balinese family’s life with a land deal
 [13:20] — Understanding the communal ownership structure in Bali
 [14:40] — Starting a full-scale consultancy with engineers and site managers
 [17:00] — Balancing surf life and entrepreneurial hustle
 [18:30] — Why developers hire him after their original projects fall apart
 [21:00] — Commercial vs. villa investments: what's smarter in 2025
 [23:00] — A sneak peek into a new Uluwatu shop/apartment build
 [25:30] — Bali’s booming tourism vs. villa market saturation
 [26:30] — From Canggu to Uluwatu: the migration of expats
 [27:00] — Expansion into Lombok and upcoming developments
 [29:00] — Why he's launching Island Properties publicly and scaling the team

Connect with Island Properties:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/islandpropertiesrealty