Mark talks to Jonathan Collins, friend and former leader of Nottingham City Council for 16 years. They discuss in depth Labour's recent budget decisions, infrastructure challenges, and the complexities of political promises. While coming from different sides of the political spectrum, their frank discussion explores local government, infrastructure investment, and the realities of political decision making. The debate around HS2, regional development, and political accountability makes this a must listen for anyone interested in UK politics and economic policy.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Good infrastructure (railways, roads, broadband) is essential for local economic growth - when these basics are missing, even successful businesses struggle to expand.
• Politicians avoid being honest about taxes before elections, creating a cycle of unrealistic promises and voter disappointment.
• There aren't enough young people being born causing a social care and tax crisis.
• Government projects often cost much more than necessary because officials are too focused on avoiding any possible criticism rather than being practical.
• The constant stopping and starting of major projects like HS2 wastes enormous amounts of money as contractors have to keep reorganising their work.
• Many areas of the UK are held back not by lack of business opportunity, but by poor transport connections and outdated infrastructure.
• Union influence on Labour Party decisions is less direct than many people think.
• Professional experts often over-engineer infrastructure projects due to fear of future criticism, leading to gold-plated solutions rather than practical ones.
• Local councils face challenges in basic service delivery (like waste collection) due to the complex relationship between unions, management, and practical realities.

BEST MOMENTS

"Part of the challenge with politics is that it often descends into personalities... But ultimately, this is all about how we run the country and it's about policy."

"The country isn't working anymore. It isn't functioning and so the conversation is, so are we happy with that? Are we happy to continue doing that?"

"There aren't enough young people being born. You're not enough working age people to pay for the old people. We've got social care issues."

"If you concentrate on infrastructure and housing, you will get growth. Infrastructure and housing will deliver you growth."

"Why does it cost four times as much to do HS2 per mile than it does to do the TGV?"

"Each time they get all of their payments, as soon as the government decides to stop again, it's massively disruptive and costly. Stop starting. I mean, it's completely bonkers."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark outlines his predictions for the housing market in 2025. He talks about what he thinks will happen to rental prices, interest rates and the impact of the US Election as he gives his 6 Property predictions for 2025.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Rent will continue to rise in 2025 due to stamp duty increases, EPC ratings and the repeal of section 21, meaning less buy to let landlords will be buying property, increasing demand.
• Economic growth is still going to be slow in 2025, interest rates are likely to continue to drop.
• Mark predicts that build-to-rent is a sector that is going to grow in 2025
• Donald Trump being elected is going to have a significant impact on the world economy including the UK, particularly if we get a good trade deal directly with the U.S
• If Elon Musk is able to save the US government as much as predicted, what he does will become a model for the rest of the world
• Permitted development conversion caps have been removed, Mark predicts there will be more conversions of office and retail spaces into domestic accommodation in 2025

BEST MOMENTS

"I’m targeting between 5-10% of growth in build to rent”

“If Elon Musk gets into the US government, there’s talk of him saving $2 Trillion a year in their budget”

“You can convert lots more retail buildings now”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Mark hosts an informal session answering attendees' questions on property investing and business. Topics covered include managing tenant arrears, using AI systems, recovering securing finance, choosing property strategies and leveraging technology to remove reliance on people. Mark provides his famous direct, no-nonsense advice, drawing on his extensive experience. The session offers valuable insights for property investors and business owners alike.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Pursue former tenants with county court judgments using options like winding-up petitions to pressure payment, despite the costs involved.
• Expect Bank of England base rates to remain around 4-4.5% through 2025 before dropping, according to trading market predictions.
• Resolve cladding issues for financiers by providing EWS1 reports showing remediation works address combustible materials.
• Get multiple assessments when handling property contamination like asbestos to determine actual risks and remediation needs.
• Institute gradual rent increases for retained tenants to keep pace with market rates and offset rising mortgage costs.
• Leverage technologies like AI wherever possible to remove reliance on staff and minimise people management headaches.
• Seek out self-motivated employees requiring minimal oversight to avoid poor performance issues plaguing growth.

BEST MOMENTS

"I issued a winding up petition on a care company...it probably cost four or five grand, but it's existential for them."

"I check our rents once a month...I look back and a block we finished two years ago...Those rents are now going up 40%."

"When you attack landlords...then rents have to go up to a level where it works again. That's the adjustment that's taking place."

"I'm looking forward to that because apparently this can remove quite a bit of admin. I would put as much technology in as possible."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/