In our business of land and real estate investment, the importance of product knowledge cannot be understated.
Many clients these days will ask their consultant one of two questions:
1: Do they own the product themselves?
OR
2: Have they used the product themselves and what is their experience with the product?
It is great that we can offer this product to our clients, but for our staff to be doing it themselves and be experiencing firsthand the successes of our clients, proves that we absolutely believe in what we are a part of.
In light of the above, I’ve interviewed a couple of employees at Custodian who not only believe in what we do but are following the 7 Steps to Wealth strategy and John Fitzgerald’s personal guidance to achieve their own goals.
Let’s start with Natasha Young
• Custodian Construction Operations Manager
• Natasha is responsible for all clients once they venture to the building stage of their Custodian journey; Natasha’s role is to provide transparent and seamless service for each client ensuring they get optimum value from their agreement with Custodian, making sure construction is on time, on budget and of a high quality – every single time.
• 8 years at Custodian
How many Custodian properties do you own?
“I own 1 investment property in Ormeau, Queensland. I purchased it when I was 25 years old, I am now 27.”
Do you feel that you have a better connection with clients as you have been through the same journey they are embarking on?
“100%. I feel that I am almost one step ahead (in a good way!). I can sense the questions they will ask me, as I asked all the same questions myself when I started. I always tend to say “I know firsthand” and after they hear that, I usually can sense a sigh of relief through the phone. I think it is a really important part of connecting with all of my clients as we have common ground and a foundation for a great working relationship.”
What lessons has John Fitzgerald taught you regarding building wealth through property?
“John taught me to get into the market as soon as possible and to stop putting it off as there will always be reasons why you can’t buy – but don’t let that get in the way of your goals.”
If you had one piece of advice for young people like yourself, wanting to get into the property market, what would it be?
“Be practical and make your goals achievable. For example, setting a yearly goal and achieving it is much better than trying to do it all in three months. Be kind to yourself.”
When are you planning to buy your next property?
“When I get a pay rise! Only joking. I am currently in the process of re-financing my current loan so I can draw equity from my property in Ormeau to buy my second. There were a few personal things I wanted to achieve before buying my second property. I had a valuation completed on my Ormeau property four weeks ago and I have enough capital growth to be able to purchase my next property (which is Step 1 John’s 7 Steps to Wealth – Buy Land for Growth).”
Next, we talk to Jennifer Fordham-Leppitsch
• Southern States Senior Client Relationship Manager
• Jenny works closely with John Fitzgerald. She is responsible for guiding clients through the Custodian journey whilst assisting with individual wealth building strategies to help them achieve lifestyle goals and retire comfortably.
• 11 years at Custodian
How many Custodian properties do you own?
‘I own 9 investment properties through the Custodian model and 2 investment properties outside this model.”
Do you feel that you have a better connection with clients as you have been through the same journey they are embarking on?
“Absolutely, I know the highs and the lows: it’s fantastic when you get growth straight away and frustrating when the years just seem to fly by and not a lot is happening. I come back to the number and the empirical data that shows median house price across all Australian states for the last 48 years, it all goes to show what time can do for your portfolio.”
What lessons has John Fitzgerald taught you regarding building wealth through property?
“Anything worthwhile takes time, compound growth is the key, land will double in price well before the actual property does (even exceeding it), it’s so true: Land appreciates, buildings depreciate.”
If you had one piece of advice for those wanting to get into the property market, what would it be?
“Take the emotion out of it and look at it as a passive business. You do need to put some time into it depending on the size of the portfolio. Listen to people who have actually done it as a business and reaped the benefits of passive income and compound growth, as opposed to someone who has just bought an investment property. With so much information at your fingertips everyone seems to be an expert on property. Sorry, I think that was more than just one piece of advice!”
When are you planning to buy your next property?
“Ha Ha with 11 properties in total 12 if you count the dual occupancy and my husband turning 67 this year, it’s time to reap the benefits of our hard work and spend some $$$ on our owner occupied and most importantly – ourselves! I just did an overview of my portfolio yesterday and I couldn’t believe how much it had grown. That’s the great thing about building a portfolio. If on average my 10 investment properties go up even by just $15,000 per year that would equal $1.5 million in 10 years. Now that’s nice.
Finally we speak with John Farley
• Queensland Finance Manager
• John is responsible for establishing the correct finance structure for clients and enabling them to achieve their financial goals. John is a pivotal part of the Custodian journey as he lays the foundation for a future portfolio through a tailored finance solution.
• 11 years at Custodian
How many Custodian properties do you own?
“One Custodian property”.
Do you feel that you have a better connection with clients as you have been through the same journey they are embarking on?
“Yes I do. Madeleine [a long-standing Custodian client] said to me after they signed the contract on their last purchase, ‘she wouldn’t have gone ahead with the purchase if I wasn’t there’ – as she knew I was also a client. She felt comfortable knowing that I myself had gone through the same process and I was there to guide her.”
What lessons has John Fitzgerald taught you regarding building wealth through property?
“People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan – might sound rather simple but it is true.”
If you had one piece of advice for those wanting to get into the property market, what would it be?
“Do it as soon as you can. The best time to buy property is yesterday, the next best time is today.”
When are you planning to buy your next property?
“I would like to buy another one in the next 12 months. That will depend on various personal circumstances.”
