Mark My Words

Mark and Jonathan Collins continue their conversation into the intricacies of UK infrastructure, planning systems, and local government challenges. They discuss the complexities of planning permission, energy and local council operations. Collins shares expertise from his experience in local government and his current role as a planning consultant, making this episode essential listening for developers, property investors, and anyone interested in UK infrastructure development and local politics.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The planning system is too complex, projects that should be simple often get bogged down with unnecessary requirements and delays.
• Most council money goes to social care, leaving little for other important services like planning and development.
• Extra rules and taxes on landlords have led to fewer rental properties and higher rents for tenants.
• The UK's energy pricing makes no sense, we pay the highest possible price even when cheaper energy is available.
• Getting planning permission takes too long because councils don't have enough staff and the process is overly complicated.
• Infrastructure projects in the UK often cost far more than in other countries because we try to make everything perfect rather than practical.
• Local politics has become less cooperative over time, making it harder to get things done that everyone actually agrees need doing.

BEST MOMENTS

"The whole thing is bonkers and if the market means anything, surely it should mean that me as an electricity purchaser can go to a solar person and say, I'll have your electricity."

"When you sit down and you talk to people, most people will agree what the challenges are and some of the ways forward by way of solutions."

"Infrastructure projects suffer because they're over-engineered and gold-plated, which means they run out of money before completion.”

"Local democracy is great, but we've all voted in a national election and if the government is saying it's infrastructure and growth, sorry guys, but we're going to have to constrain your local ability to say no."

"The nature of our politics has got worse... there's an inability to actually listen and to debate and to understand and to compromise."

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark talks to Jonathan Collins, friend and former leader of Nottingham City Council for 16 years. They discuss in depth Labour's recent budget decisions, infrastructure challenges, and the complexities of political promises. While coming from different sides of the political spectrum, their frank discussion explores local government, infrastructure investment, and the realities of political decision making. The debate around HS2, regional development, and political accountability makes this a must listen for anyone interested in UK politics and economic policy.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Good infrastructure (railways, roads, broadband) is essential for local economic growth - when these basics are missing, even successful businesses struggle to expand.
• Politicians avoid being honest about taxes before elections, creating a cycle of unrealistic promises and voter disappointment.
• There aren't enough young people being born causing a social care and tax crisis.
• Government projects often cost much more than necessary because officials are too focused on avoiding any possible criticism rather than being practical.
• The constant stopping and starting of major projects like HS2 wastes enormous amounts of money as contractors have to keep reorganising their work.
• Many areas of the UK are held back not by lack of business opportunity, but by poor transport connections and outdated infrastructure.
• Union influence on Labour Party decisions is less direct than many people think.
• Professional experts often over-engineer infrastructure projects due to fear of future criticism, leading to gold-plated solutions rather than practical ones.
• Local councils face challenges in basic service delivery (like waste collection) due to the complex relationship between unions, management, and practical realities.

BEST MOMENTS  

"Part of the challenge with politics is that it often descends into personalities... But ultimately, this is all about how we run the country and it's about policy." 

"The country isn't working anymore. It isn't functioning and so the conversation is, so are we happy with that? Are we happy to continue doing that?"

"There aren't enough young people being born. You're not enough working age people to pay for the old people. We've got social care issues."

"If you concentrate on infrastructure and housing, you will get growth. Infrastructure and housing will deliver you growth." 

"Why does it cost four times as much to do HS2 per mile than it does to do the TGV?" 

"Each time they get all of their payments, as soon as the government decides to stop again, it's massively disruptive and costly. Stop starting. I mean, it's completely bonkers."

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark outlines his predictions for the housing market in 2025. He talks about what he thinks will happen to rental prices, interest rates and the impact of the US Election as he gives his 6 Property predictions for 2025.

 KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Rent will continue to rise in 2025 due to stamp duty increases, EPC ratings and the repeal of section 21, meaning less buy to let landlords will be buying property, increasing demand.
• Economic growth is still going to be slow in 2025, interest rates are likely to continue to drop.
• Mark predicts that build-to-rent is a sector that is going to grow in 2025
• Donald Trump being elected is going to have a significant impact on the world economy including the UK, particularly if we get a good trade deal directly with the U.S
• If Elon Musk is able to save the US government as much as predicted, what he does will become a model for the rest of the world
• Permitted development conversion caps have been removed, Mark predicts there will be more conversions of office and retail spaces into domestic accommodation in 2025

BEST MOMENTS  

"I’m targeting between 5-10% of growth in build to rent”

“If Elon Musk gets into the US government, there’s talk of him saving $2 Trillion a year in their budget” 

“You can convert lots more retail buildings now”

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark hosts an informal session answering attendees' questions on property investing and business. Topics covered include managing tenant arrears, using AI systems, recovering securing finance, choosing property strategies and leveraging technology to remove reliance on people. Mark provides his famous direct, no-nonsense advice, drawing on his extensive experience. The session offers valuable insights for property investors and business owners alike. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Pursue former tenants with county court judgments using options like winding-up petitions to pressure payment, despite the costs involved.
• Expect Bank of England base rates to remain around 4-4.5% through 2025 before dropping, according to trading market predictions.
• Resolve cladding issues for financiers by providing EWS1 reports showing remediation works address combustible materials.
• Get multiple assessments when handling property contamination like asbestos to determine actual risks and remediation needs.
• Institute gradual rent increases for retained tenants to keep pace with market rates and offset rising mortgage costs.
• Leverage technologies like AI wherever possible to remove reliance on staff and minimise people management headaches.
• Seek out self-motivated employees requiring minimal oversight to avoid poor performance issues plaguing growth.

BEST MOMENTS  

"I issued a winding up petition on a care company...it probably cost four or five grand, but it's existential for them."

"I check our rents once a month...I look back and a block we finished two years ago...Those rents are now going up 40%."

 "When you attack landlords...then rents have to go up to a level where it works again. That's the adjustment that's taking place."

"I'm looking forward to that because apparently this can remove quite a bit of admin. I would put as much technology in as possible."

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark talks through budget and tax rumours and gives a breakdown of current government spending. He shares why he thinks the decisions and choices will be made and also gives the real numbers and statistics around government spending.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Around $340 billion, equivalent to almost 30% of this year’s budget is spent on social protection which covers things like, housing benefit, income support and pensions.
• Personal social services have increased to £43 billion
• Only 60% of the country is paying in, 40% of people in the UK are economically inactive
• Labour are claiming a £20 billion black hole which they are using to justify tax increases.
• The conservatives would have had to either reduce spending or put up taxes if they had remained in power.
• Covid cost the UK £400-£500 billion.
• Labour have been leaking information around which taxes may increase to help soften the blow to the public.
• There are rumours about capital gains tax increasing to 45% for high earners, but this could discourage investment.
• We can’t grow the economy if we scare off investors.
• From 1st January 2025 it's proposed that there will be VAT on school fees.

BEST MOMENTS  

"40% of this country is economically inactive”

“Rachel Reeves used to be in the treasury, so she’ll know exactly where to look for this information”

“I suspect the conservatives would have had to reduce spending or put up taxes up anyway I think whoever got in that was about to happen”

“I think the government have been leaking like hell”

"I understand the politics of envy are at work here" 

"Why would you want to tax excellence" 

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

A revisit of Mark talking through property news headlines including why UK rental prices have continued to increase despite government measures. Mark gives his thoughts on proposed rent controls being introduced in Wales, the impact of current rent controls in Scotland and why the UK does not offer value for money in renting properties. He also reveals the many other reasons behind the current rental crisis in the UK.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• 50k rental properties are needed to meet the demand in the UK
• Rent controls do not work. In the 60s and 70s, this was proven and it is being proven again.
• Rent control reduces the rental stock and pushes prices up, it also impacts the country's labour market as people cannot move around easily.
• People in the UK live in smaller homes than many other countries including France, Germany and Japan.
• Planning is extremely slow in the UK, this impacts the speed at which properties can be developed.
• Women in the UK are having fewer children than are needed to sustain the workforce which means immigration is heavily relied on.

BEST MOMENTS  

"For the 17th consecutive time, the price of renting in the UK has gone up” 

“Rent control doesn’t work”

“It will reduce the quality and selection” 

“Reduce the cost of childcare and get women back to work”

“It’s stealing off a section of society and it’s not right”

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark Homer reflects on his 20-year journey to becoming a multi-million-pound property CEO. Hear how he started with naive investments abroad, learned difficult lessons, and shifted his strategy to focus on local houses with strong cashflows. Mark explains his role as a "conductor" in assembling teams for each project, shares current real estate trends, and advises aspiring investors. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Focus on cash flow over capital growth for stable returns and safety during market downturns
• Assemble specialists for each project rather than maintaining large in-house teams
• Leverage permitted development rights to convert low-value buildings into prime real estate
• Retail properties are undervalued currently due to the rise of e-commerce
• Large-scale PRS apartment blocks are an emerging institutional investment class
• Keep debt below 50% of asset values over the long term for sustainable growth

BEST MOMENTS  

"So lots of investors are having to offload because of section 24."

“I watched them make loads of money in a very short space of time. At the time, I had a friend who maybe bought something like 97, and within two or three years he’d made about 60 grand’s worth of equity."

"I made a very, very poor investment. So I learned very, very quickly not to trust those who have a vested interest in selling me the property and to go out and do genuinely independent research to find out what something will actually rent for."

"When I started in this sector, I was very much focused on capital growth. Capital growth is sexier to a lot of people. That’s probably, in reality, truthfully, where you make most of your money over the long run."

"I also noticed on a much bigger scale that the wealthiest people in the country seemed to have made or had seemed to have invested their money into property. If you have a look down the rich list, the Sunday Times rich list that comes out every year, a lot of those were making their money from property."

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

In this revisited episode episode, Mark shares his thoughts on how to teach and motivate children to invest in property and be successful. There are tips on how to get a mortgage, what types of property to buy, how to rent your property, what you need to know about taxes, and the secret strategy that could allow you to obtain a house for free!

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark gives a news review, focusing on Rachel Reeves plans for the October budget and what he thinks the rest of Labour's plans will be for the UK. Mark also talks about the voting share from the election, UK rental affordability and the impact the continued drop in interest rates is having on the housing market. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Labour already knew the financial situation but they are now behaving like they didn’t, revealing the drastic measures they may take. 
• Labour will likely look to change inheritance tax and pensions to try and ‘fill’ the gap in finances.
• Only 20% of the population actually voted for labour. This outcome is really about the conservatives performing so badly.
• The government’s control over the sentencing of rioters is concerning, they shouldn’t be able to have this much direct impact on the sentencing of individuals.
• Rental tenants are paying 70% of their income on housing in the UK. This is a direct consequence of the changes made by the previous government, that impacted demand and mortgage rates. 
• Interest rates are continuing to go down, which will cause more people to buy houses rather than rent, this can already be seen by the slowing growth in the rental market. 

BEST MOMENTS  

"They’re saying capital gains tax should be the same as income tax, which of course is not right”

“I think she is probably going to try and get most of the bad news out this autumn”

“I think they will repeal the section 21 which will make it harder to evict tenants”

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

In this episode, Mark talks about the current state of the financial market, housing policies, and UK politics. From unsettling economic data to proposed changes in landlord regulations, Mark discusses the latest news and updates relevant to property investors and entrepreneurs in the UK right now.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Financial markets are unsettled due to worsening US economic data, this could lead to interest rate drops of around 1% in the US by the end of 2024, with the UK likely to follow suit.
• The UK government is considering French style hardship tests for tenant evictions, potentially banning evictions if renters are found to be worse off, which could lead to stricter tenant referencing and higher rents.
• Labour's promised "biggest house building program in Britain for two generations" is met with scepticism, as similar promises by previous governments have failed to materialise due to lack of resources and planning reforms.
• Rent prices in the UK have hit record highs, with the average rent outside London reaching £1,314 per month, driven by a lack of supply and increasing costs for landlords due to regulations and taxation.
• The Labour government's first month has seen a short honeymoon period, with concerns raised about potential tax increases and the handling of recent protests and riots across the country.
• Mass immigration is a significant concern for many UK citizens, with over 700,000 people entering the country on a net basis in the last 12 months, putting pressure on housing, schools, and public services.
• Mark criticises the Rwanda deportation, it feels like the plan was a "scam," especially after Dominic Cummings' revelation that Boris Johnson knew it would never work due to ECHR constraints, despite allocating £10 billion to the project.

BEST MOMENTS  

"I studied economics. The first module I did was the supply and demand curve. It's very, very simple. If demand remains the same and supply reduces then price has to go up and that's what's happening to rent."

"About 6% of the land in this country is built on 57% is agriculture and 35% is natural or semi natural land. So, you know, do we want to get rid of all the farms? Absolutely not. Do we want to produce food? Absolutely."

"What happens is on a flat that ordinarily might have been rented for £800 and you've got an old tenant in there maybe paying £650 because they're on a, some sort of protected tenancy or rent control or whatever that property comes back on the market, it might rent for £1400, £1500, £1600."

"I think a lot of the sort of levelling up fund was marketing. I think there were a lot of sort of gimmicks in there."

"I think if Starmer really wants to gain credibility over some of the core issues that are going on at the moment I think he needs to find a genuine solution to stopping boats and remember the boats are only 30/50,000 people a year, reducing legal immigration, which is probably a bigger problem."

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/