This Monday was special for me — I finally graduated with my MSc in Real Estate (with commendation). But the photos don’t show the reality behind it. Running HNFC Stays full-time. Studying full-time. And trying to stay sane in a year that honestly tested me more than any before. There were mornings I was on site at 7am dealing with leaks… then in a lecture by 10… replying to guests on the metro home… and writing coursework half-asleep at 1 or 2am. I submitted one assignment from the car between viewings. Read valuation notes at 5am because that was the only quiet hour I had. None of it was pretty — but it made me sharper. And it made me fall even deeper in love with this industry. The best part? Everything I studied went straight into the business: - Valuation → landlord reports - Planning → our development pipeline - Property law → negotiations - Asset management → better systems - Investment → scaling with confidence And somehow, through all that chaos, we still grew: 📈 Sales up nearly 30% 📦 Doubled our managed listings 🏢 Took on bigger, more complex buildings I’m honestly just grateful that now I can share this knowledge with all of you for FREE here in the community —so you don’t have to pay £18,000 in tuition fees to learn the same things. This degree didn’t just give me theory. It made me a better operator, a clearer thinker, and more confident about where we’re going next. 👉 What’s something you took on that felt impossible at first… but proved to yourself you could handle it?

When I started in property, I thought the only way to “be an investor” was to save for a deposit, get a mortgage, pray the boiler didn’t explode… and basically stress my way into the portfolio. No one ever told me there was a simpler starting point. A way to invest in real estate without buying actual property. That’s where REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) come in. I ignored them for years — big mistake. A REIT basically lets you own a small piece of huge property portfolios: hotels, offices, apartments, logistics buildings… all the stuff we talk about here. And the best part? You don’t deal with tenants, cleaners, repairs, voids — none of it. Why I like them now: - They pay steady dividends (passive income without stress) - You can start with £50 instead of £50,000 - You stay liquid — buy in, sell out anytime - And you get exposure to dozens of buildings, not just one If someone explained REITs to me when I was 18, I probably would’ve started my investing journey much earlier — and with a lot less fear. So, if you’re just getting into property or want a low-risk way to learn the market, REITs are honestly a great stepping stone. 👉 Has anyone here tried investing in REITs? Or thinking about it?

When I first looked at Buy-to-Let, everyone around me made it sound like the “proper” path. Save a big deposit, buy a house, pray the rent covers everything. But when I ran the numbers… reality hit me. A BTL in the North East usually needs £25k–£35k upfront, and the cashflow is around £250–£400/month (approx figures) At that time, I didn’t have £25k spare. I barely had £3k. Literally. My first ever 1-bed deal — fully set up, furnished, supplies, TV, deposit, everything — cost me £3,000 in total (I'm still amazed how I pulled this off) That one deal changed my entire direction. And when I compared it to the cashflow… again, it shocked me: £350–£550/month from a Rent-to-Rent SA that cost a fraction of a BTL deposit. Same cashflow. 7–10x less capital. (I don't enjoy the appreciation though) For someone starting with almost nothing, that was life-changing. I still respect Buy-to-Let. I still buy when the deal makes sense. But the truth is… Rent-to-Rent is what gave me a shot. It’s what allowed me to learn fast, make mistakes cheaply, and build momentum without waiting years to save a deposit. Both strategies work. But for me, R2R wasn’t a “business model.” It was a lifeline. A doorway into property when everything else felt out of reach. 👉 What did you start with — BTL, R2R, or something completely different? P.S. *In this picture, I had to walk for 2 miles like that, and do 2 more trips. All because I couldn't afford to pay for a taxi and wanted my set-up costs to be as low as possible x

I wasn’t sure if I should share this… but this community deserves honesty. After 10 years of living, studying, and building my whole life in the UK, my ILR application was rejected. One email — and suddenly everything I built felt uncertain. I won’t pretend it didn’t hit me hard. But life has a strange way of redirecting you. While that door closed, another one opened almost immediately. This year, we started something I never imagined:HNFC Stays Dubai. 🇦🇪 The market there is booming, and somehow it feels like the right next step — even if it came from a tough place. And through all this, we kept growing here too: 🎓 Finished my Master’s with Commendation 💰 On track for £500k+ guest revenue 🏘️ More properties than ever under management Honestly, none of this feels “big”. It just feels like the result of not giving up when things got difficult. I’m sharing this here because I want everyone in this group to remember: Sometimes the things that shake your life the most push you exactly where you need to go. Thanks for being here — it means a lot. 👉 What’s one challenge that pushed you into a better chapter, even if it didn’t feel like it at first?

If you’ve been following our journey, you already know we started small — a few serviced units, juggling cleaners, messages, and guests at midnight. Airbnb and Booking Com were a blessing in those early days. They gave us visibility, trust, and that first wave of guests when we were just getting started. But after a while, I noticed something uncomfortable...If your income depends on an algorithm — you don’t own your business. That realisation changed everything for me. 🚀 The Shift We Made in 2024 We made a big call: Stop relying solely on OTAs and start building something we control. So we went all in on direct bookings — and honestly, it was one of the best moves we’ve ever made. Here’s what we did: 🌐 Built a direct booking website that actually converts 💬 Spoke to guests directly via WhatsApp and email — not just platform chat 💳 Introduced loyalty and referral offers so good guests come back 🏢 Partnered with relocation teams and long-stay professionals who prefer direct contact And the results? ✅ Higher margins (no 15–20% OTA fees eating profits) ✅ More repeat guests and referrals ✅ Better upsell opportunities — early check-ins, parking, late check-outs ✅ Happier landlords with stable returns and lower volatility We still use Airbnb and Booking — they’re fantastic for discovery. But our long-term growth? It’s built on direct trust and brand ownership. 🧠 Here’s What You Can Try This Week 1. Audit your booking mix. Look at your last 20 stays — how many were direct? If it’s under 30%, you’ve got space to grow. 2. Get a simple, direct booking page live. Platforms like Boostly, Uplisting, and Lodgify make it plug-and-play. Add a WhatsApp button and “Book Direct” banner on every listing. 3. Start building your guest list. Collect every email from your stays — doesn’t matter if it’s 5 or 50. Next month, offer them 10% off their next stay if they book direct. 4. Automate your post-stay follow-up. A short “Thank you — we’d love to host you again” message with a direct link works wonders. 5. Create repeat touchpoints. Send a WhatsApp message before busy weekends, holidays, or events —guests love the personal reminder.