Helen Collier-Kogtevs:<\/strong>\u00a0Our first big difference is that we do not offer real estate. I\u2019m all about education \u2013 and only education. Lots of other companies in the industry say the same thing, but after spending a bit of time with them you find out they actually do sell real estate in a roundabout sort of way. It\u2019s something I\u2019ve experienced myself. When I was learning to be an investor and being mentored, some of them tried to sell me real estate, which I didn\u2019t appreciate. And so I vowed I would never do that.<\/p>\n The second big difference is that we offer genuine one-on-one mentoring. It\u2019s not one-on-the-masses mentoring via webinars or classroom \u2013 this is mentoring that\u2019s hand-holding, personalised and tailored to the individual, which is what I wanted when I was a student. When I was looking to become a mentor, I literally sat down and created programs in a step-by-step format that anyone could follow; I didn\u2019t want to make it complicated. I wanted to take something that was quite complex and create a systemised approach that I could teach anyone, from adults to children.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to buy a house, that\u2019s easy. Anyone can buy a house,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cBut building a portfolio is complex, and it requires strategic thinking. It\u2019s not as simple as just investing in a development or off-the-plan deal \u2013 you need to systematically piece things together to see if they meet your planned outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n Collier-Kogtevs stresses that further analysis is required \u2013 investors need to look towards the end result. Considering longterm income goals, planned retirement age and lifestyle choices is key to determining which property becomes the \u2018better\u2019 investment choice \u2013 and this may differ entirely from an investor\u2019s personal feelings about the aesthetics of the property.<\/p>\n \u201cMany new investors don\u2019t understand that you can actually utilise research data and forecasting techniques to see what your property\u2019s probable future is going to look like,\u201d Collier-Kogtevs says. \u201cThat way, you can make an informed decision before going out and signing a contract.\u201d<\/p>\n YIP: What are some of the common mistakes you see potential investors making?<\/strong><\/p>\n HCK:<\/strong>\u00a0There are lots. I wrote a book about it \u2013 59 Biggest Mistakes Made by Property Investors and How to Avoid Them! But I\u2019d say for newbie investors in the market the biggest pitfall is the \u2018follow the herd\u2019 mentality. Prospective investors could find themselves going along to seminars with a charismatic host who makes outlandish claims like \u201cthe moon is the next hotspot\u201d or \u201cthe moon is where you should be buying this type of property\u201d. Then they throw in lots of facts and figures to convince you. The fact is that a lot of people fail to do enough research and due diligence on whether those options are actually right for them. A blanket, one-size-fits-all approach doesn\u2019t work. We\u2019re all individual, and we all have different circumstances and different investing goals.<\/p>\n Sometimes we find that people who join Real Wealth Australia already have some investments \u2013 often because they\u2019ve attended the sort of seminar I\u2019ve just described \u2013 and they\u2019ve hit a wall. It\u2019s up to me to help them fix it, which I\u2019m happy to do, but it\u2019s unfortunate that they fell victim to people who were trying to sell them something that didn\u2019t fit their needs at all.<\/p>\n YIP: What do you think investors need to know before going ahead with purchasing property?<\/strong><\/p>\n HCK:<\/strong>\u00a0Potential investors will need to start thinking about where and how they spend their money, because they need to be accountable now. These days when they apply for a loan, banks want to know everything. At least in part due to the royal commission into banking and financial services, banks are starting to reel in a bit too tight on prospective borrowers too. For investors looking to apply for loans, working with a good broker in this situation can be really valuable; they can run through your bank statements with you and take some other steps to make sure you have the best possible chance of getting your loans approved.<\/p>\n YIP: Big picture, where do you think the Australian property market is going over the next few years?<\/strong><\/p>\n HCK:<\/strong>\u00a0Well, I don\u2019t have a crystal ball, but it\u2019s already cooled off, and I think that will continue over the next two to three years, possibly up to five. On the financial front, I think people are overreacting to the negative media, so they are a little bit nervous. However, I think when they realise that it\u2019s all OK and the market\u2019s settled down again, there will be another run.<\/p>\n \u201cPotential investors will need to start thinking about where and how they spend their money, because they need to be accountable now\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Real wealth Australia has been helping to educate prospective investors for more than a decade on how they can make smarter property purchasing decisions. Your Investment Property spoke to founder Helen Collier-Kogtevs to get her advice on how investors can equip themselves for their property…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":176692473,"featured_media":24945,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,25,31],"tags":[70],"class_list":["post-24914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-story","category-sponsored-channels","category-your-investment-property","tag-featured"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/au.res.keymedia.com\/files\/image\/YIP%20138%2042-45%20Key%20Milestones.JPG?w=1060&ssl=1\")
Investing vs Buying a home<\/strong>
\nOne of Helen Collier-Kogtevs\u2019 key principles of investing is the importance of learning how to distinguish between choosing a potential investment property and buying a home of your own \u2013 something many beginner investors struggle with. Too often, prospective investors succumb to the desire to buy a property that they would like to live in, rather than considering the wider implications.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/au.res.keymedia.com\/files\/image\/YIP%20138%2042-45%20Helen%20Collier-Kogtevs%202.jpg?w=1060&ssl=1\")
\u201cA blanket, one-size-fitsall approach doesn\u2019t work. We\u2019re all individual, and we all have different circumstances and different investing goals\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n