The Property Unleashed Podcast

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Starting a property business is intimidating at any age, but it feels especially brutal when you’re 18 and everyone assumes you’re “too young” to be taken seriously. 

That’s why this conversation with George Smart from GT Smart Property Limited hit so hard. 

George walks us through the moment he realised an IT apprenticeship wasn’t the life he wanted and why he chose UK property investing as his path to freedom, growth, and building something that lasts.

We get into the real nuts and bolts of his early strategy: rent-to-rent service accommodation, what it takes to get units live, and how he’s already operating two SA units in Gloucester. 

George shares how he works mostly remotely, what he’s learned about bookings and consistency, and why he still wants the stability of HMOs as he scales. 

If you’re weighing short-term rentals vs HMOs, you’ll hear an honest take on the pros, the stress points, and what “cash flow first” can look like in practice.

We also talk about avoiding shiny object syndrome, building a network that brings deal flow, and why management-only services can be a smart way to grow income while keeping your options open for flips, joint ventures, and purchase lease options later on. 

The through-line is simple: push through fear, take the first step, and stay persistent through the setbacks.

If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s on the fence, and leave a five-star review so more people can find the show.

VALUABLE RESOURCES:

Let me help you build your property business, Check out how I can support your investing now.

• Visit https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/home
• My Property Investing Community called Property Education To Action,  This is the best place to achieve your property goals and build the life you desire. https://educationtoaction.com 
• Apply here: https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/innercircle
• Supportive Living help www.socialspaces.uk
• “FREE Training, THE PROPERTY INVESTORS TOOLKIT 
• “If you’ve enjoyed these episodes, leave us a five-star review”
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/816926952556608 to meet like-minded property investors and be a part of the community.

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A 0.2% price drop can grab headlines, but it can also distract you from the only question that matters in property: do the numbers actually work today? We’re joined by Anthony McMullen from Homemaker Properties to unpack what “housing market resilience” really means when mortgage rates, affordability checks, and stamp duty are doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes.

 If you’re selling an investment property, we talk candidly about why buyers may not pay a premium for “tenants in situ,” and how targeting first-time buyers or owner-occupiers can completely change the outcome.  

We also dig into HMRC’s growing focus on compliance and what a tax clampdown could look like for the property sector. More enforcement and less clarity can create real risk for landlords who are disorganized, under-advised, or relying on outdated assumptions. Our takeaway is simple: compliance is no longer optional admin, it’s part of the investment strategy.  

Finally, we break down the student rental league table and the reality of student rental yields once you factor in voids, management, and operating costs. We discuss how purpose-built student blocks and shifting demand are changing the competitive landscape, and why in some areas a low-hassle family let can look more attractive than a marginal HMO. If you want practical, current UK property market insight without the hype, this one is for you.  

Subscribe for next month’s update, share this with a landlord friend, and leave a review if it helped. What’s the biggest challenge you’re seeing right now: finance, tax, or tenant demand?

VALUABLE RESOURCES:

Let me help you build your property business, Check out how I can support your investing now.

• Visit https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/home
• My Property Investing Community called Property Education To Action,  This is the best place to achieve your property goals and build the life you desire. https://educationtoaction.com 
• Apply here: https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/innercircle
• Supportive Living help www.socialspaces.uk
• “FREE Training, THE PROPERTY INVESTORS TOOLKIT 
• “If you’ve enjoyed these episodes, leave us a five-star review”
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/816926952556608 to meet like-minded property investors and be a part of the community.

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“Same-day remortgage” sounds like a magic trick, but the real opportunity is more practical and more powerful: refinancing a property within the first six months of ownership so your cash is tied up for less time. We sit down with mortgage specialist Rob Peters from Simple Fast Mortgage to translate the jargon, explain the six-month rule, and show how day one remortgaging can support smarter property investing without relying on hype.

We dig into how this strategy used to be common before 2007, why lenders pulled back after the credit crunch, and what’s changing now as some lenders return to refinancing inside six months even without a refurbishment. If you’re buying below market value, purchasing at auction, or moving fast with a cash purchase, we explain how lining up the refinance early can help you recycle capital, recover deposits faster, and move on the next deal with less drag.

We also get honest about the risks that can break the plan: valuations that come in low, rental stress tests that reduce borrowing, and delays you can’t control. Rob shares practical ways to reduce “rogue valuation” risk, why the exit strategy matters most when bridging finance is involved, and how to stress test for interest rate changes so a deal still works years from now.

If you’re trying to decide between bridging plus refinance, buying cash then refinancing, or going straight to a mortgage on a discounted purchase, this is the roadmap. Subscribe, share this with a property investor friend, and leave a review, then message us with the deal you want us to sanity-check next.

Check out Rob and his team for more help on this at https://simplefastmortgage.com

VALUABLE RESOURCES:

Let me help you build your property business, Check out how I can support your investing now.

• Visit https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/home
• My Property Investing Community called Property Education To Action,  This is the best place to achieve your property goals and build the life you desire. https://educationtoaction.com 
• Apply here: https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/innercircle
• Supportive Living help www.socialspaces.uk
• “FREE Training, THE PROPERTY INVESTORS TOOLKIT 
• “If you’ve enjoyed these episodes, leave us a five-star review”
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/816926952556608 to meet like-minded property investors and be a part of the community.

CONNECT WITH ME:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.fitzgerald.7921
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Most people jump into rent-to-rent service accommodation chasing “easy” cash flow, then get trapped by one bad agreement, one compliance miss, or one slow month. 

We’re laying out the real blueprint for running short-term rentals professionally so you can build predictable income without buying property, while protecting yourself and the landlord from avoidable mistakes.

We unpack the rent-to-rent model step by step: how you lease from a landlord on guaranteed rent, furnish and “dress” the unit to a premium standard, then drive bookings through Airbnb, Booking.com, and contractor demand. We also get specific on operations, from guest experience to cleaning, utilities, Wi-Fi, and the tools you can use to estimate occupancy and nightly rates before you commit.

The biggest focus is doing it legally and safely. We explain why service accommodation should use the right paperwork (management agreement or commercial lease with explicit permission to sublet, plus license agreements for guests), how the 28-day rule reduces the risk of someone becoming a tenant, and what to check on mortgages, leasehold restrictions, insurance, and local council policies including the London 90-day rule in certain boroughs.

 You’ll also hear how we stress-test deals at 50% occupancy, think in 12-month cycles, and keep a plan B like supported living in mind when a unit underperforms.

If you want a clearer way to assess deals, negotiate with landlords, and avoid getting locked into a bad contract, hit subscribe, share this with a friend building a property business, and leave a review so more investors can find it.

VALUABLE RESOURCES:

Let me help you build your property business, Check out how I can support your investing now.

• Visit https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/home
• My Property Investing Community called Property Education To Action,  This is the best place to achieve your property goals and build the life you desire. https://educationtoaction.com 
• Apply here: https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/innercircle
• Supportive Living help www.socialspaces.uk
• “FREE Training, THE PROPERTY INVESTORS TOOLKIT 
• “If you’ve enjoyed these episodes, leave us a five-star review”
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/816926952556608 to meet like-minded property investors and be a part of the community.

CONNECT WITH ME:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.fitzgerald.7921
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Send us Fan Mail

Most rent-to-rent businesses do not fail because the strategy is “bad” they fail because the setup is sloppy. 

We get practical about what you actually need before you take on properties, whether you are running HMOs or building a service accommodation portfolio, so you can operate like a real property professional from day one.  

We talk through the essentials: setting up a limited company, opening a proper business bank account, and treating income as the business’s money until you have planned for tax and costs. We also share a simple “pots” approach for cashflow management, including money set aside for voids and maintenance, so your bank balance stops lying to you and you can pay contractors quickly and confidently.  

From there, we dig into the systems that keep things running. For HMOs, we cover tenant management software, room advertising, the DPS deposit protection scheme, tenant referencing, business phone numbers, and getting legal support through the NRLA. 

For service accommodation, we break down why a channel manager and dynamic pricing tools like PriceLabs matter, plus how data tools like AirDNA can help you assess demand and occupancy. We finish with how we think about building a support team with VAs, viewing help, cleaners, and emergency cover so the business serves your life instead of owning it.

If you found this useful, subscribe, share it with a friend building a rent-to-rent business, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What system do you need to put in place first?

VALUABLE RESOURCES:

Let me help you build your property business, Check out how I can support your investing now.

• Visit https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/home
• My Property Investing Community called Property Education To Action,  This is the best place to achieve your property goals and build the life you desire. https://educationtoaction.com 
• Apply here: https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/innercircle
• Supportive Living help www.socialspaces.uk
• “FREE Training, THE PROPERTY INVESTORS TOOLKIT 
• “If you’ve enjoyed these episodes, leave us a five-star review”
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/816926952556608 to meet like-minded property investors and be a part of the community.

CONNECT WITH ME:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.fitzgerald.7921
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One wrong assumption can turn a “perfect” HMO deal into a planning dead end. 

We get practical about UK HMO rules, starting with the basics of what counts as a House in Multiple Occupation and why renting by the room can outperform a standard buy-to-let for cash flow, especially when you pair it with strategies like rent-to-rent.

From there, we walk through HMO licensing in plain English: what mandatory licensing usually looks like, why your local council’s HMO pack is the only safe source of truth, and what standards tend to come with a license. We talk fire safety expectations, management arrangements, and why HMOs need a tougher setup and more frequent inspections than a single-family rental. If you’re trying to stay compliant while protecting profit, this is the checklist mindset you need.

Planning is where many investors get caught, so we also dig into Article 4 Directions and how they can stop HMO conversions or make approvals much harder. We cover additional licensing and selective licensing too, including why some councils require licenses for smaller HMOs or even all rental properties in certain areas. Finally, we explore what changes with seven bed plus properties, including sui generis use and how commercial valuation based on rental income can help you recycle funds when the numbers and demand are there.

If you want fewer surprises and better decisions on HMO conversions, listen through, then subscribe, share it with a landlord friend, and leave a quick review with your biggest HMO question.

VALUABLE RESOURCES:

Let me help you build your property business, Check out how I can support your investing now.

• Visit https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/home
• My Property Investing Community called Property Education To Action,  This is the best place to achieve your property goals and build the life you desire. https://educationtoaction.com 
• Apply here: https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/innercircle
• Supportive Living help www.socialspaces.uk
• “FREE Training, THE PROPERTY INVESTORS TOOLKIT 
• “If you’ve enjoyed these episodes, leave us a five-star review”
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/816926952556608 to meet like-minded property investors and be a part of the community.

CONNECT WITH ME:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.fitzgerald.7921
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Send us Fan Mail

Most people don’t fail in property because they picked a “bad” strategy. They fail because they picked a strategy that doesn’t fit their time, their risk tolerance, or the kind of business they actually want to run. We unpack that decision in plain English and use realistic numbers to compare the workload and cash flow behind buy-to-let, HMOs, and serviced accommodation, so you can stop guessing and start choosing with confidence.  

We walk through what changes when you move from a vanilla buy-to-let to a busier HMO model, including bills, management, and the higher wear and tear that comes with more tenants and more turnover. Then we get honest about serviced accommodation: yes, the revenue can be higher, but you’re signing up for hospitality standards, furnishing costs, constant churn, and seasonal swings. If you want to do short-term rentals well, you need to think in 12-month cycles, not “good month vs bad month.”  

We also dig into a route many investors overlook: social housing and supported living. With the right provider and lease structure, it can be more hands-off than HMOs or short-term lets, and the net profit can surprise you once you factor in reduced management and maintenance costs. 

Finally, we explain back-to-back leasing, a practical way to sit between a landlord and a provider, solve problems for both sides, and earn a realistic margin even when a deal doesn’t stack as an HMO or serviced accommodation.  

If you want more training and support, visit educationtoaction.com. Subscribe for more straight-talk property investing, share this with a friend who’s stuck choosing a strategy, and leave a review with the one approach you’re leaning toward and why.

VALUABLE RESOURCES:

Let me help you build your property business, Check out how I can support your investing now.

• Visit https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/home
• My Property Investing Community called Property Education To Action,  This is the best place to achieve your property goals and build the life you desire. https://educationtoaction.com 
• Apply here: https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/innercircle
• Supportive Living help www.socialspaces.uk
• “FREE Training, THE PROPERTY INVESTORS TOOLKIT 
• “If you’ve enjoyed these episodes, leave us a five-star review”
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/816926952556608 to meet like-minded property investors and be a part of the community.

CONNECT WITH ME:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.fitzgerald.7921
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Send us Fan Mail

Trying to buy every deal the “normal” way can trap you in constant competition, tight lending, and sellers who want speed more than structure. 

We take a different angle: using purchase lease options to control a property now, lock in an agreed purchase price, and earn income during the lease period while keeping the option to buy later. It’s not a magic trick and it’s definitely not a strategy you force onto every seller, but in the right situation it can be one of the most flexible tools in a property investor’s kit.

We walk through the real definitions and the practical differences between a purchase lease option, a purchase option, and a lease option, including the strike price, option fee, lease fee, and why “assignable” paperwork matters if you decide not to complete the purchase yourself. We also get honest about where investors blow it: trying to use options when a vendor needs cash immediately, ignoring agents’ incentives, and skipping clear communication that prevents buyer’s remorse and expensive pullouts.

From there, we zoom out into deal-making judgment: when it makes sense to offer a seller more money if they can wait, how assisted sales can work (and why current market conditions can add risk), and how to protect yourself with simple heads of terms before solicitors get involved. We finish with a detailed case study on a six-bed HMO where a small upfront cost secures control, monthly profit, and a plan to fund the eventual deposit from cash flow, plus a look at supported living as a longer-term lease option play.

If you want smarter ways to structure UK property deals and improve cash flow without overpromising, hit play, then subscribe, share this with another investor, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

VALUABLE RESOURCES:

Let me help you build your property business, Check out how I can support your investing now.

• Visit https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/home
• My Property Investing Community called Property Education To Action,  This is the best place to achieve your property goals and build the life you desire. https://educationtoaction.com 
• Apply here: https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/innercircle
• Supportive Living help www.socialspaces.uk
• “FREE Training, THE PROPERTY INVESTORS TOOLKIT 
• “If you’ve enjoyed these episodes, leave us a five-star review”
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/816926952556608 to meet like-minded property investors and be a part of the community.

CONNECT WITH ME:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.fitzgerald.7921
Instagram: ...

Send us Fan Mail

Most people don’t lose money in rent-to-rent because the strategy is broken. They lose it because they copy an outdated playbook and make a few expensive mistakes that seem “normal” at the start. 

I’m Mark Fitzgerald, and I’m laying out the five errors I see again and again when people try to build a rent-to-rent business with HMOs or serviced accommodation, especially when they’re chasing their first deal and trying to move fast.

We start with the biggest mental hurdle: believing you need a huge pile of cash. Rent-to-rent is a cash-flow strategy, not a refurb strategy, and spending heavily on someone else’s property is usually a sign the deal is wrong. I walk through how to think about low-cost setup, why rent-ready HMOs matter, and how furniture leasing can reduce upfront costs for serviced accommodation. Then we get into the numbers that protect you, including using a deal calculator, staying conservative, and refusing to overpay rent just to “win” a landlord.

From there, we go deeper into risk control: using the right rent-to-rent contracts (management agreements or commercial leases rather than tenant-style paperwork), and making break clauses non-negotiable so a property never traps your business if the market shifts. I close with what it really means to run rent-to-rent like a business, including planning for tax, VAT, voids, and maintenance with separate accounts so you can sleep at night and scale with confidence.

If this helped, subscribe, share it with someone chasing their first deal, and leave a review so more property investors can find the show.

VALUABLE RESOURCES:

Let me help you build your property business, Check out how I can support your investing now.

• Visit https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/home
• My Property Investing Community called Property Education To Action,  This is the best place to achieve your property goals and build the life you desire. https://educationtoaction.com 
• Apply here: https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/innercircle
• Supportive Living help www.socialspaces.uk
• “FREE Training, THE PROPERTY INVESTORS TOOLKIT 
• “If you’ve enjoyed these episodes, leave us a five-star review”
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/816926952556608 to meet like-minded property investors and be a part of the community.

CONNECT WITH ME:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.fitzgerald.7921
Instagram: ...

Send us Fan Mail

Using other people’s money can feel scary, awkward, or even “wrong” when you’re getting started in property investing, but that fear is often the exact thing that keeps your portfolio small. 

I’m Mark Fitzgerald, and I’m breaking down what an OPM mindset really is, why it matters, and how to use private money and investor capital in a way that’s safe, controlled, and built on trust.

We dig into the biggest mental trap I see: treating raising money like begging, and treating “no” like rejection instead of clarity. When you can source a solid real estate deal and you understand the numbers, staying silent can actually be the selfish move because plenty of people have cash sitting in low-interest accounts and want better returns but lack the skills to execute. The goal is not hype or pressure, it’s creating mutual value through clear communication and strong fundamentals.

I also walk through how to structure win win win agreements so the investor gets the return and security they need, you get the leverage to execute, and the seller or landlord gets a fair outcome. We cover practical options like second charge positions, RX1 restrictions, and personal guarantees, plus the long-term habits that protect your reputation: transparency, updates when timelines slip, and doing what you say you’ll do.

If this helps you think differently about creative finance, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s stuck, and leave a five-star review so more investors can find it. What’s the biggest thing stopping you from asking for funding?

VALUABLE RESOURCES:

Let me help you build your property business, Check out how I can support your investing now.

• Visit https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/home
• My Property Investing Community called Property Education To Action,  This is the best place to achieve your property goals and build the life you desire. https://educationtoaction.com 
• Apply here: https://www.thepropertyunleashed.com/innercircle
• Supportive Living help www.socialspaces.uk
• “FREE Training, THE PROPERTY INVESTORS TOOLKIT 
• “If you’ve enjoyed these episodes, leave us a five-star review”
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/816926952556608 to meet like-minded property investors and be a part of the community.

CONNECT WITH ME:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.fitzgerald.7921
Instagram: ...