In April 2008, property investors were like the frog that got thrown into a pot of boiling water. They immediately reacted when the banks suddenly stopped lending. Suddenly overnight, they wanted to know how to get out of trouble by transacting property without depending on the banks. For so long, we had been the contrarian to their widely-held belief that “What goes up, must go up even higher!”

Unlike the sudden shock of 2008, the post-Covid years have crept up unnoticed with record inflation, government policies, greater rules and regulations, and geopolitical pressures that are leaving investors vulnerable. And, as we have mentioned previously, people and property investors often act with a herd mentality, blinded to the warning signs.

It’s like suffering from a toothache, you will put up with the pain for some time until the thought of a possible extraction is less painful than the pain of the tooth itself. The unfortunate reality is that too many will leave it too long that they will succumb to the boiling water, like the frog. “What goes up, must come down”, no matter what anyone tells you.

Ask yourself, who in today’s property market has a sore tooth, that is, who is suffering and therefore needs help? It is very clear when you look at things from that perspective. We can’t see what is staring at us right in the face!

We have already mentioned the burnt-out landlord that doesn’t know how to maximise his returns to offload his property portfolio. He may resort to discounting, but that won’t always solve his problems.

What about the newbie investor that does not have a fortune to spend on bank deposits and/or training courses? They are running around trying to get themselves educated, yet through their lack of experience they may just well be the next frog in the boiling pot. If we can solve their problems, could that also help us solve ours? The opportunities are there if you know where to look. Who do you know that’s struggling — and how can you help?