In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven are joined by Russel Godferry, a hands-on property investor who shares an honest account of navigating the realities of property investing through changing market conditions, COVID disruption, and shifting tenant behaviour.

Russel talks openly about lessons learned from deals that didn’t go to plan, how his strategy evolved over time, and why resilience, adaptability, and realistic expectations matter far more than hype. This episode is a grounded, experience-led conversation that cuts through “Instagram property” and focuses on what actually happens once you’re in the game.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🏠 Getting Started in Property — And the Reality Check
Russel shares how he entered property investing with optimism, only to quickly realise that real-world property is far messier than most online success stories suggest.
Early assumptions were tested once properties were live, tenants moved in, and unexpected costs appeared.

🦠 The Impact of COVID on Property Plans
Like many investors, Russel saw plans disrupted almost overnight during COVID.
The episode explores how lockdowns, uncertainty, and tenant issues forced rapid decision-making — and why flexibility became essential for survival.

📉 When Deals Don’t Perform as Expected
Russel speaks candidly about properties that underperformed and why projected numbers often fail to reflect reality.
Void periods, maintenance, rent collection issues, and management challenges all played a role.

🧠 Learning the Hard Way — Then Adapting
Rather than quitting, Russel adjusted his approach.
The conversation highlights the importance of learning from mistakes, reassessing assumptions, and not blindly copying strategies that worked for others in different markets or cycles.

👥 Tenants, Communication & Expectations
A strong focus is placed on tenant relationships and communication.
Russel explains how misunderstandings, poor alignment, or lack of boundaries can quickly turn a “good deal” into a stressful one.

📊 Why Numbers on Paper Aren’t the Whole Story
Nick and Steven dig into why spreadsheet deals can look brilliant but still fail in practice.
Operational reality, personal capacity, and tolerance for stress matter just as much as yield.

🗣️ Honesty vs Hype in Property Education
The episode challenges overly polished property narratives online.
Russel’s experience reinforces that property success is rarely linear — and setbacks are normal, not failure.

In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Clark Adam, a 69-year-old property investor with one of the most fascinating life stories ever featured on the show. From growing up as a self-confessed “Ned” in Glasgow’s Cardonald, to joining the army at 15, to spending 25 years overseas protecting UK diplomats in some of the world’s most dangerous countries — Clark’s journey is anything but ordinary.

After realising his pensions wouldn’t cover retirement, Clark began investing in buy-to-lets in 2008. Fast forward to today, he owns a high-cashflow portfolio in Montrose, earns close to £10,000 per month, and is part of an elite property group where only investors netting over £100k annually are allowed in. His favourite strategies now include serviced accommodation, long-term corporate lets, purchase with delayed completion, and upcoming moves into M&A and hotels.

This episode is packed with wisdom, wild stories, and truly unique insights into risk, discipline, and building wealth later in life.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🌟 From Glasgow “Ned” to Army Captain
Clark grew up in Cardonald as part of the local gang “The Cardi”.
Joining the army at 15 became his escape route — providing discipline, structure, and strong role models.
He went on to become the Army Junior Squash Champion, played for the army, and was later sponsored for Sandhurst.
A 14-week pre-Sandhurst programme taught him etiquette, culture, and public speaking — all funded by the taxpayer.

🏘️ Starting Property to Fix a Pension Gap (2008)
Clark began buying affordable buy-to-lets in Montrose, identifying early growth potential due to the deep-sea port and new bypass to Aberdeen.
Properties were purchased for around £60,000, but early returns (£250–£300/month) weren’t enough — triggering his shift into property education.

📚 £40,000+ Invested in Property Education
Clark completed high-level training including Simon Zutshi’s masterminds.
He believes every penny (plus the travel and hotel costs) has been worth it.
Education accelerated his income from accidental landlord…
…to joining a club where members must net £100k per year.

🏠 Serviced Accommodation & 5–10 Year Corporate Contracts
Serviced accommodation became Clark’s strongest strategy:
One 3-bed Montrose property bought for £68,000 now earns £3,500 per month from wind farm contractors.
He prefers long-term contracts with contractors, social housing providers, and insurance companies to eliminate tenant turnover.
All his properties sit within the same DD10 8 postcode, making management effortless through his own local team.

⚡ Why Montrose Is a Hidden Investment Goldmine
Montrose is now a major hub for the North Sea wind sector.
The construction of 72 new wind farms (Inchcape) brings huge contractor demand.
Many workers prefer Clark’s properties over hotels for comfort and space — a major competitive advantage.

🔧 Other Strategies: Rent-to-SA, Lease Options & PDC
Clark has completed:
• rent-to-SA
• converting BTLs into SA
• purchase with delayed completion (PDC) — Scotland’s version of a lease option
With PDC deals, he controls and refurbishes properties before final purchase.

💰 The £100k Club — and Next Goal: £200k
Clark currently nets around £9,444 per month, slightly below £100k due to rising interest rates.
His next milestone?
The £200k Club, achieved through scaling serviced accommodation and long-term corporate leases.

🏨 Next Moves: Hotels, Blocks of Flats & M&A
Clark is now eyeing larger acquisitions, including:
• hotels
• blocks of flats
• major M&A opportunities in Scotland and England
He’s inspired by peers already doing multimillion-pound deals.

In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Scott sits down with Portolio — Scotland’s specialist estate agency dedicated to selling tenanted properties. Since 2017, Portolio has carved out a unique position in the private rented sector by staying niche, focusing solely on tenant-in-situ sales, and championing transparency across the industry. In this conversation, Portolio breaks down how the market has shifted in 2025, why so many long-term landlords are exiting, and what serious investors truly look for today. From yields 📈 and fixed pricing, to MDR savings 💷, portfolio deals 🏘️ and industry ethics, Portolio gives a clear and honest look at what “fair sale price” means in the current market.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🏡 How Portolio Built a Niche in Tenanted Property Sales

• Launched in 2017 when tenant-in-situ sales were still uncommon

• Built the business by staying niche, consistent and transparent

• Focused solely on tenanted sales to build trust with investors and landlords

👵➡️👨‍💼 Why Landlords Are Selling & Who’s Buying in 2025

• Most landlord exits are driven by retirement after 20–30 years of ownership

• Younger, more professional investors are now rapidly taking over the PRS

• Buyers increasingly use limited companies to scale portfolios

💰 Pricing, Yields & Setting Realistic Expectations

• Portolio avoids inflated valuations and uses evidence-based pricing

• Long-term stagnant rents can impact achievable yields and sale values

• Some properties require rent reviews before a sale can succeed

📌 How Fixed Pricing Speeds Up Sales

• Fixed price avoids confusion and unrealistic offers

• Serious investors act quickly when yields and numbers are clear

• Many buyers now expect upper-6% or 7%+ gross yields due to lending conditions

🧾 Why Proper Due Diligence Matters

• Full compliance documentation is prepared before listing

• Buyers get tenancy info, safety certs and rent statements upfront

• Prevents surprises like arrears, missing paperwork or access issues

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