The Real Power of Networking in Property

We are live. So hello everybody, it's Heidi and Steve here and we're going to do a quick 10 minutes on networking. Not the traditional go to a networking event, spend £1,000 on training networking, but more connecting with people and the value of building relationships up and contacts and knowing where to get information from. So I'll give you a couple of weird examples today of how networking's worked for me. So me and Steve have both run networking events where we've got up at the front, had some speakers, connected people in the room, and they're really good and I really value them. However— sorry, I'm going to cough— however, having smaller connections with people, you don't know what you're going to get out of it. So I'll give you my two examples and then we can dive into the benefits of just connecting and building relationships. So 3, actually, I'm going to give you 3. So number 1 is on the Secret Property Club, and I don't profess to be an expert, but there's somebody that I really valued and was inspired by who's older and more experienced, gave me their mortgage broker. I already had 4 mortgage brokers, but this one mortgage broker has now allowed me to level up my game in the buying blocks of Flatsfield. I wouldn't have known about this person had I not have done this club and also joined that networking event, connected and spoke about my problems. So that was the Wellbeing Wednesday one where if I didn't have a moan, I wouldn't have got any support or that contact. So that was my number one. Number two, and this is weird and a little bit confidential, but this is the power of knowing what people do. So I had a property friend message me and said, um, I need some support. I'm not going to dive into the details because this will go on Facebook and I'll get into trouble, but I want to buy a house and there was a fire. Can you tell me how it happened? I used my contacts, found out how it happened. They now have insider information. Yes, very strange, but that's the power of knowing people. And the third one is you, Steve. This is a little bit of a surprise to you, but obviously we were looking to JV together on an opportunity. And again, that wouldn't have happened if we didn't do this.

No, exactly. And if I hadn't have been networking, I wouldn't have been invited by David Oliveira Oliveira Oliveira to join the Secret Property Club.

Yeah, and same to me. So, and they're all traditional, not showing up to a networking event, but the power of connecting with people, networking. And also, this is really, really important. Having a moan and sharing problems, because all three of those came from going, I've got a problem, can you help?

Yeah, and it shows sort of like that you as a person as well, if you obviously share your problems, and rather than sort of like the bullshit and everybody and saying everything's great and everything's fine and sort of sharing your problems can often find a solution for them.

Yeah, I, I don't know how people who profess to be amazing and experts actually get anywhere because they can't talk readily about the stuff they need support with. So when I did run a networking event and I did the introduction at the front, I said to people, instead of going, oh, tell us a bit about yourself, tell us about your wins, tell us about, you know, your successes this week, I said, tell us about your challenges So one, where— who are you, where you're based, and what's your challenges? Because you don't know who is in the room that can support. So instead of saying, I'm looking to raise finance, or I'm looking for a mortgage broker, specifically talk about the issue you're having. Because even if someone's not in that room, they might know somebody who can help you.

Yeah, yeah, building relationships. Property isn't about bricks and mortar, it's about relationships and people.

Yeah, and I say as well to like people who are sort of new in the field is get a group of people you can really, really trust. And I mean, you can tell absolutely anything to, and they'll be there to support you if you're having a bad day, good day, or a challenge. And then also work with people 6 months ahead of you so they can give you advice. 6 months behind you so you can help them. And also get a couple of people who have got the lives you want and sort of speak to them as well. So I've got people that I really admire that I think, bloody hell, I'd love to have their portfolio, or I'd love to have their lifestyle. They're 10, 20 years ahead of me, so there's no point aspiring to that right now. I need to look at 6 months ahead.

Yeah, break it down into small manageable chunks that are achievable.

Yeah, just the, just, just the one deal that I want to achieve. Do it in full circle and then go on to the next one. So like, if you're new in property and you want to do a rent to rent— we'll cover rent to rent next week— if you want to do a rent to rent property, do it in full circle, do it until you're successful. If you want to do a buy to let again or a refurb, do it, do it till you're successful. Just pick one instead of scattergunning for the first year or two. Just pick one strategy.

Yeah, focus and get good in that one rather than trying to do everything at once.

Yeah, I've got some weird knowledge from my failings. Like, I'm speaking again from David Oliveira's networking the other day. I met a couple of people there that I've connected with. We've had a good chat. They've got a couple of really complicated deals going on, and I was helping them, and I was like, I don't even know I know this stuff, actually. Like, it's just from the power of speaking to people and learning and failing and doing things over and over again. I was like, bloody hell, I can't believe I know this weird information I've got.

I remember when John Dale came on and he sort of obviously found a property and managed to complete and put an offer in and actually buy it within— secure the deal within a couple of days. Yeah, you can't do that if you haven't already built the relationships.

Oh yeah, absolutely. Yeah, you've got, you've got to have people you can go to and say, right, I've got this, are you in on it? And that's something I'm working on now is building up the investors because I'd rather only work with a couple forever rather than constantly needing stuff over and over. I think it's, it's tiring as well.

Yeah.

So yeah, that's, that's the tips on networking. So one, Just stay connected with people. I know people that spent £20 grand on training, didn't follow it up with any networking, didn't make any friends. You've really got to absorb yourself in it. Again, I had a contact say to me, I've sold a couple of deals with this person before, and then they went off the radar, and I was like, okay, fine. Then they've come back going, do you want to work together? I said, yeah, absolutely. Like, you're one of the only successful people I've worked with selling a deal, so absolutely, that's not a problem. And they said, how was business? I went Well, yeah, I'm doing this, this, this, this, and anyone to brag, I'm doing this, this, and this. And then, oh wow, you're smashing it. I went, I'm not consistent. I have a shit day, I show up. If I don't want to do it, I show up. I've got to feed the kids, I show up. Do you know what I mean? If I want to do that, you just, you keep going. And I've kept going solidly for 5 years without even a day off. Sometimes I do something property related or business related every day, even if it's for 30 seconds. Just to keep a toe in, and now it's my life. Yeah, I'm not smashing it. I've had some right terrible times.

I mean, with the in-person networking events, it's quite surprising how often you see people who stick with the same clique in the room. Yeah, and don't actually go and talk to everybody. I mean, some people find it difficult because of confidence or just their personality It's like going up to a girl and asking them out for a date if you meet them in the nightclub. It's just going and just making that step and just go up and say hello.

And yeah, I'm weird with networking as well. I used to host an event and didn't want to speak to anyone. It was my event and it's like, I'm not great at networking because one, it's on a night and I can't be bothered sometimes. Yeah, and I haven't got an outcome. I don't go there with an outcome of I want to I want to sell something, or I want to raise funds, or I want to win business. I, I don't have an outcome, and that's probably my biggest tip off. If you're going to spend money on networking, go with an outcome. I want to get some business. I want to get a new— I want to connect with someone 6 months ahead of me. I want to learn about a new strategy. Whatever it is, go with an outcome in mind and work backwards. So like, if I want to connect I've got people who connect to me on Facebook all the time. Sometimes it's legit and they want to help with something, and that's absolutely fine. Sometimes it's they want to sell me a load of shite that I don't want. But have an outcome in mind and work back. So even if you're just going to message someone, an idol on Facebook, message them. Someone listened to me on a podcast the other week, and this podcast was about 3 years old. Can you help me with this? Yeah, of course I can. You know what I mean? Like, I've helped someone with something and that was from 3 years ago, and they took balls to message me. They didn't think I was going to message them back. But just message people and, you know, build connections. You don't know who's going to help you. And then you've got to be in people's minds as well. Like, the amount of people that go off the radar for years and then come back, you've got to stay consistent with that.

Yeah, so post regularly on social media platforms.

Yeah.

And have a presence. And otherwise, if you're, if you're at home and you just sit in, in your lounge or whatever and don't make those connections, either in person or online, then how is anyone ever going to know about you?

Well, as well, one person— and, and again, it came from the networking event in Lincoln the other week— I wish I'd known about you years ago. To my events, it was my events. And you forgot about me because I haven't been networking, and they're on my Facebook and forgot about me. It's mental. So unless you're in someone's mind, algorithms and networking, you're easily forgotten as well. So again, yeah, build those connections.

So anything about networking, we're actually doing a live online networking session in 10 minutes in Secret Property Club, so please, if you haven't registered yet, please feel free to join. Um, if not, we'll see you on the next one.

Absolutely. So on that note, I'll see you soon, Steve, and then next week we'll cover rent-to-rent and just showing up when it's shit.

Good advice. See you later. Thanks, Heidi.