My wife and I recently bought our 10th investment property. Not because we needed to and certainly not because we were chasing the milestone of 10 properties. We bought it simply because we could.
The interesting thing is that buying property number 10 didn’t feel like crossing some dramatic finish line. Why? Because success had become a habit. It’s probably the most important lesson I’ve learned about investing, wealth creation, and achieving big goals.
The Original Goal
When I first started my wealth-building journey, my goal was straightforward:
I never wanted to have to worry about money again.
To me, that meant:
- Owning our own home; and
- Building enough wealth to replace my income
By 2023, when my wife and I purchased our eighth investment property, I had effectively achieved that. Financial security was no longer a question.
Like most goals when achieved, the moment itself was brief. There was a sense of achievement, and a bit of reflection for sure.
But like most goals, the feeling didn’t last very long because the goal was never the most valuable part of the journey.
The Actual Goal
The real reward wasn’t the properties. It was who I had to become to acquire them. To build a substantial portfolio, I had fundamentally changed the way I thought and behaved.
I learned how to:
- Spend less than I earned.
- Understand cash flow and manage money effectively.
- Focus on the long term while others chased short-term noise.
- Keep taking the next step, even when progress felt slow.
Most importantly, I committed to continuous learning. I read relentlessly. I learned from people more experienced than me. I listened, adapted and changed my thinking when better ideas came along.
Over time, those habits compounded… just like the investments did.
So Why Buy a 10th Property?
In 2025, we bought our 10th investment property. Again, not because we needed to. It was simply the next logical step.
There are only around 2,500 Australians who own 10 or more investment properties. Very few achieve it at my age, and fewer still without inheriting wealth or selling a major business.
But buying property number 10 wasn’t about joining a statistic. It was about continuing to explore my potential.
The Pursuit of Full Potential
At some point, there will be a ceiling. Maybe I won’t be able to grow my income further. Maybe I won’t be able to borrow more. Maybe something else stops me. But until that point, there’s something incredibly fulfilling about continuing to move forward… about asking, “How much better can I become?”
That’s what keeps me moving forward, because the real reward of pursuing ambitious goals is in becoming better than you were yesterday.
Success is a Habit
The biggest difference between owning zero properties and owning 10 isn’t knowledge.
It’s habits.
And, over time, I’ve built a pattern of:
- Doing what I can, when I can
- Taking opportunities when they appear
- Continuing to grow even when I don’t have to
And that’s the difference between 0 properties and 10.
When success becomes a habit, outcomes simply become a by-product.
Final Thought
If you’re early in your journey, do yourself a favour and set big goals. They give you direction. But don’t get too attached to the number.
Instead, focus on:
- The habits you’re building
- The knowledge you’re acquiring
- The discipline you’re developing; and
- the person you’re becoming
In the end, owning 10 investment properties isn’t what changed my life. Becoming the person capable of achieving it did.
