2024: How was it for you?

And just like that, we’re almost at the end of another year!

I think it’s really important to reflect on the past year, so you can see and congratulate yourself on what you’ve achieved, as well as looking at what lessons you’ve learned and what you might want to change for the coming year.  It’s become a bit of a tradition for me to do a ‘Year in Review’ blog at this point in December, so let’s dive right in and look back at what happened on Behind the Facade in 2024.

January

Podcast episodes: Plan B Investing: Surviving the Unplanned; From Lord Mayor to Property Investor: a Conversation with Tom Dylan; Funding your Property Deal: a Conversation with David Jelly ; What Next for Commercial Real Estate with Antony Slumbers; The Impact of Refugees on the Housing Crisis in Ireland

Starting the year off strong I had some great guests on the podcast. I talked to Manchester-based property investor Tom Dylan, who spent 5 years in Japan before returning to the UK for a stint as the Lord Mayor of Norwich County Council, about how he made the transition to property, whilst David Jelly and I talked about the process of funding via his platform Property Bridges. I caught up with Antony Slumbers, who was one of my earliest Behind the Facade guests, and we talked about the future of Commercial Real Estate.

Resilience remained a key discussion point for me again this year – I talked about how to survive the unplanned, following a few unexpected events that were a little challenging. I also took some time out to discuss an incredibly divisive topic: how refugees have impacted the housing crisis in Ireland.

February

Commercial Property and the Flex Model with Jerry Alexander; Getting Started in Property with No Money | Susannah Cole; Strategies for Adding Value to Property Assets

More great guests in February! Susannah Cole and I talked about the realities of getting started in property without any money, whilst my friend Jerry Alexander returned to discuss his flexible office model.

I also shared some strategies for adding value to your assets – always something you should be thinking about as a property owner.

March

Property Investing - What’s Your Next Move?; How to Market you Real Estate Business with Cody Tritter; Time In The Market vs Timing The Market; What Have The Last 200 Podcast Episodes Taught Me?

There was a proper benchmark in March – the 200th episode of the podcast! When I started Behind the Facade as a lockdown project, I don’t think I’d even thought that it would still be going 200 episodes later.

I also talked to Cody Ritter about marketing – something everyone should learn about, and I shared a story from a listener that real proves that time in the market will always beat timing the market.

April

Mortgage Money Mindset; How to go about Funding Your DEAL; Education, Action, Skills and Experience; The Unintended Consequences of Government Housing Policy

April saw the launch of my brand-new community on Skool, where members can find tools and resources for building a property portfolio no matter where in the world they are. I’ve shared the information needed to learn how to analyse, select, negotiate and purchase any real estate asset and discover how to generate superior investment returns whether it’s in a local market or far outside of it. If you’re not a member yet, come and join!

May

The Growing Influence of Social Media in Property with Joanne Lavelle; Are you a Investing as a Professional or an Amateur?; Why the Housing Crisis is set to Continue; Irish Property Tax - a conversation with Brendan Allen

More great conversations in May, talking about why social media is so important with Joanne Lavelle (who also discussed her winning YouTube strategy), and property tax expert Brendan Allen joined me to share his insights.

I also touched on mindset, looking at the cognitive biases that can cause you to make costly mistakes… well worth revisiting if you missed it the first time round.

June

Unlocking Value in Self-Storage | Jacob Vanderslice; Psychology in Business & Investing; AI - The Biggest Risks & Opportunities Ahead

In June I explored the self-storage facility sector with Jacob Vanderslice, who took us on a deep dive into this often overlooked sector. I explored the power of psychology when it comes to business and investing (again, why your mindset is so important), and also took a look at the threats and opportunities posed by AI – it’s mindblowing!

July

Why Join a Property Mastermind?; The HMO Investing Strategy in Ireland; The Rebuild - Overcoming Setbacks & Challenges; Grow Your Portfolio Using Seller Finance | Ray Glymph

In July, I opened up my Property Mastermind to give listeners a fly on the wall glimpse at what we cover on the programme, and I revisited the topic of resilience, and the traumatic effect that prolonged stress can have on you.

Ray Glymph joined me to discuss the potential for a real estate investor to turn the seller’s desire to exit into motivation to have them finance your purchase of their property… fascinating stuff! I also took a look at the HMO investing strategy – an area I think is really interesting.

August

Getting People to Give you Money | Rick Otton; Getting Yourself Mortgage Ready | Margaret Barrett

August featured two fantastic conversations about financing and preparation in property investing. Rick Otton shared his amazing insights on the power of persuasion, and Mags Barrett joined me to share her tips on getting yourself mortgage-ready: invaluable advice all round!

September

Lessons on Building a Memorable Life; Mindset and Multi-family Investing | Randy Langenderfer; Your Real Estate Investing Roadmap; Streamlining The Rental System with Conor McGarry; The HMO Investing Strategy in Ireland (part 2)

In September I turned 52… how did that happen?!... and to mark the occasion I shared some of the lessons I’ve learned over the years. I dived into investment strategies with Randy Langenderfer's discussion on mindset and multi-family investing. Conor McGarry joined me to talk about the rental market in Ireland, and I continued my deepdive into HMO.

October

The National Retrofit Plan & SEAI Grants Explained; Buying and Selling Raw Land with Brent Bowers

This month, I took a look at the National Retrofit Plan for Ireland, focusing on energy efficiency and the role of the SEAI in managing grants for property upgrades, highlighting the challenges and requirements for homeowners and property investors. I also had a great discussion with Brent Bowers from Colorado Springs, who shared his journey into land investing, discussing the benefits of seller financing and the importance of passive income.

November

Where Next for the Property Market?; Financial Independence & Your Investor DNA with Joey Muré; Irish & European Property Update; Should I Move to Dubai?

After a recent trip to Dubai, I reflected on the city's vibrant energy, the potential for living there, and the investment opportunities available and addressed a pressing question around the future of the property market, particularly in light of recent price increases.

I also spoke with Joey Mure to discuss the importance and significance of taking control of one's finances, and strategies for achieving financial freedom.

December

Constructive Suffering and the Resilient Mind with Christian Ray Flores; From Dublin to Dubai with Fintan Flannelly; Are House Prices 10% Overvalued?

Two great conversations to close out the year! Christian Ray Flores joined me to discuss his thoughts on resilience, personal growth, and the interconnectedness of life’s core drivers, and he shared his remarkable journey from being a refugee to becoming a successful entrepreneur and performance coach. Whilst I was in Dubai I was able to record an episode in person with my old school pal Fintan Flannelly who moved from Dublin to Dubai back in 2015. He’s still a strong advocate of the city – take a listen to hear is thoughts.

I also looked at the current state of the Irish housing market, focusing on a recent report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) that claims house prices are overvalued by 10%, exploring the implications of this finding, the affordability of mortgages, and the potential risks of a housing bubble reminiscent of the 2008 crash.

You can listen to all episodes of Behind The Facade here (or wherever you get your podcasts).

What a year! As always, a massive thank you to all the fantastic guests who’ve joined me throughout the year, and thank you as well to my followers – I hope you’ve enjoyed listening to the 2024 season of Behind the Facade as much as I’ve enjoyed producing it, and see you all in 2025!