The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Social Trends Report released in December 2011 said that more than forty percent of the average Australian household’s assets consist of property assets.This tendency among Australians to gravitate toward property seems natural, given the promise of accelerated capital growth, cash flow, and tax benefits.

But anyone new to the game will soon realise that developing a property portfolio isn’t as easy as it sounds. It requires a sound financial strategy founded on a thorough understanding of how to (a) capitalise on your borrowing power, (b) use equity to grow your portfolio, and (c) maintain a sizeable financial buffer.

The old adage therefore applies: “Fail to plan…and you plan to fail.”

One of the most difficult aspects of building a successful property portfolio is finding the right funding partners. Without up-to-date insider knowledge, industry expertise, and the right contacts, you’d be hard put to know the difference between clever sales talk and a lender’s actual capabilities.

It’s important to keep in mind that each individual’s case is unique and that there is no one-size-fits-all strategy to growing your property portfolio. And if a highly critical consideration in this strategy is to have the right funding partners on board, then it is equally critical that these same partners be able to tailor their funding to suit your strategy. The logic sounds a bit circular, yes, but asking questions along the following lines should help:

• What is it that I want to achieve?
• Why do I want to achieve this?
• How am I going to achieve this?

Finance advisors call this “so that” thinking. Think “I’m choosing/doing X so that I can do Y,” Y being your goal: retiring early, improving your long-term retirement prospects, creating wealth, you name it. Assuming you already have a strategy in place, the next question to raise is: Can this potential funding partner provide the optimum financing structure for the specific needs I have mapped out?

This was the core issue in today’s case: the hunt for not just one, but multiple funders. Winquote believes that it is feasible, even easy, for the average Australian investor to develop a well-structured portfolio within a relatively small time frame, given that he is able to connect with the right people and organisations. This case is proof positive.

The Problem

We were approached by our clients, a self-employed couple, as a result of their desire to increase their property portfolio through their trusts. As things stood, they already had an investment strategy in place but had only an initial deposit and as yet no property in their portfolio.

They knew they needed the assistance of multiple funders to reach their objective of growth in net asset value through property. (This was their “so that” statement.) The problem was that they weren’t sure how to go about the hunt in a timely and cost-effective manner.

That was where we came in.

The Solution

What they had going for them was their early realization of the fact that their spending an inordinate amount of time and effort to canvass all the banks to try and find the right solution for them would have meant a substantial loss of income and productivity. Having approached us, they were able to appoint a Winquote expert as their key finance relationship manager. Our representative was able to manage all of their requirements easily, thanks in part to our ongoing relationships with multiple lenders—a significant advantage our clients had the opportunity to leverage.

The Results

Through the one relationship with Winquote, our clients were able to get in touch with, and borrow from, multiple institutions. And they were able to achieve this hassle-free, in a timely manner, AND at a great price. Our contact base was the key to their success. With Winquote as their de facto relationship manager, they benefited firsthand from our solid understanding of finance and our existing relationships with some of Australia’s biggest lenders.

Conclusion

Winquote will be happy to be your one point of call for all your financing matters. But we’re not just an intermediate; we’re an advocate, and we’re rooting for your success. Our specialty lies in taking an integrated, holistic, and consultative approach to your financing needs, ensuring that all bases are covered and that you’ll have as little to worry about as possible throughout the entire process.

If you’d like to get in touch with us for a consultation, call our office at 02 9929 9733 or drop by Suite 7, 345 Pacific Highway, North Sydney 2060.