“31 degrees. Sun on my face. Sand between my toes. Life was pretty relaxed as we lay on a beach in Kos, in the Greek Islands. It was 2016 and Mina and I were relishing a six- month break from Australia.”

What a hook – isn’t it the dream – to be able to retire to a Greek island? The couple thought they’d hit the jackpot, retiring from your day job at age 28 owning 25 residential and commercial properties scattered across four states.

On this episode of the Friends With Money podcast, host and Editor at Large of Money magazine Australia, Julia Newbould, is joined by successful property investors and authors Scott and Mina O’Neill.

Mina and Scott O’Neill are professional property investors – they run a buyer’s agency for commercial property investors and have to date helped more than 2000 clients purchase well over $1 billion in Australian real estate.

They started their own property investing early and have just published their first book – Rethink Property Investing.

The couple worked hard, saved for many years and obsessed over every property decision. However, when they returned from their Greek Island holiday, one they had enjoyed every summer for several years, the O’Neills were not ready to retire.

They started to transition their portfolio into commercial property, and then realising that their knowledge of the commercial property market could help others get their start. They found most people didn’t know what commercial property included, what the advantages and disadvantages were and when they were ready to buy weren’t sure where to start.

This realisation prompted the O’Neills to start their own buyer’s agency to help people make their first moves into commercial property. The couple is now busier than ever and through their book Rethink Property Investing – they are able to tell their story and spark even greater interest in commercial property.

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