How We Replaced Our Salaries in 12 Months with Erika & James

How We Replaced Our Salaries in 12 Months with Erika & James

Author: Kevin McDonnell August 12, 2025 Duration: 37:23
https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/raf/ Former journalists Erica and James share their journey building a property portfolio through Progressive Property's education and community. After experiencing redundancy and living in a camper van, they discovered no-money-down strategies, rent-to-rent deals, and HMOs. Their story reveals how they transformed from traditional buy-to-let investors into creative property entrepreneurs, completing more deals in 12 months with Progressive than in five years before. They also share their mindset barriers, how to leverage other people's money and more! KEY TAKEAWAYS • Erica desperately wanted to give her money to property partners, while in the UAE, she actively sought people to invest with because she lacked local knowledge and emotional connection to oversee refurbishments herself. • James learned property's leverage advantage after going a year without pay. His experience of financial instability in journalism made him realise property offers unique access to banks' and investors' money that other investments don't provide. • After joining Progressive Property, their deal flow accelerated dramatically compared to their traditional approach of saving salaries for deposits. • Their first six months felt like failure, but built the foundation for their success. The initial period of following Kevin McDonald's steps without visible results was actually creating the network and credibility that led to four rent-to-rent properties. • James's mother quadrupled her income overnight using Progressive strategies, she attended MISA, converted a single let to HMO, then successfully moved into serviced accommodation, proving education works for experienced investors too. BEST MOMENTS "One of the reasons I've got into property is that idea of having an independent source of income that no one else can take away from you." "Don't jump out of your job before you've built your parachute…we were like, well, it's too late for that." "In sort of 12 months, we've done more deals than we did in the five years before that." VALUABLE RESOURCES MSOPI – Multiple Streams of Income: https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk ABOUT THE HOST Sean Fitzpatrick is a property investor, educator, and the Face of Progressive Property. With a 6-figure portfolio and expertise in creative strategies, finance, and off-market deals, Sean shares success stories from the Progressive Property community, expert insights, and real-world strategies to help investors succeed. Tune in for practical tips and no-nonsense advice to accelerate your property journey. ABOUT THE HOST Kevin McDonnell is a Speaker, Author, Mentor & Professional Property Investor. He is an expert when it comes to creative property investment strategies. His book No Money Down: Property Invest talks about how to control and cash flow other people’s property to create financial freedom. CONTACT METHOD https://www.facebook.com/kevinMcDonnellProperty/ https://kevinmcdonnell.co.uk/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@progressiveproperty YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0g1KuusONVStjY_XjdXy6g Twitter: https://twitter.com/progperty LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/progressiveproperty Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressiveproperty/ Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/progressivepropertycommunity Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Progperty This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Hosted by investor and educator Kevin McDonnell, The Progressive Property Podcast is a regular source of actionable strategies for navigating the UK property market. This isn't about generic theory; it’s a practical resource dissecting the methods that work for building a portfolio, from foundational principles to advanced scaling techniques. You’ll hear detailed discussions on buy-to-let, flipping properties, and creative strategies like deal packaging, all aimed at constructing multiple streams of property income. The focus is on leveraging knowledge-and often other people's capital-to build assets, emphasising how to move forward effectively even if your own starting capital is limited. Each episode is designed to condense years of experience, helping you avoid common pitfalls and make informed, strategic decisions that save both time and money. For anyone serious about property investment, from taking the first step to systematising a large-scale operation, this podcast serves as a direct line to the nuanced knowledge required for long-term financial freedom. Tune in for candid conversations that cut through the noise, offering the specific skills and confidence needed to progress in the complex world of real estate investment.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 100

The Progressive Property Podcast
Podcast Episodes
The Big Property Investing Question: Quantity or Quality? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:06
FREE DOWNLOAD How YOU Can Make A FORTUNE From Buy-To-Let https://bit.ly/BUYTOLETPOD Join Kev as he explores the question of quantity -vs- quality in property investing. He talks about the quality of house, tenants, refur…
NMD Techniques Get started in Property Investment this year! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:14
FREE DOWNLOAD How YOU Can Make A FORTUNE From Buy-To-Let https://bit.ly/BUYTOLETPOD What is the best property investment strategy this year? Join Kevin in the first episode of 2024 of the Progressive Property Podcast and…
9 Things I've Learnt in 9 Years as a Property Investor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:07
FREE DOWNLOAD How YOU Can Make A FORTUNE From Buy-To-Let https://bit.ly/BUYTOLETPOD Kevin shares 9 top tips he has learnt in the past 9 years as a Property Investor. Kevin has been in the property game for over 20 years,…
How to Flip a House A Beginners Guide with Scott Wroe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:06
FREE DOWNLOAD How YOU Can Make A FORTUNE From Buy-To-Let https://bit.ly/BUYTOLETPOD Kev is joined by social media expert and property investor Scott Wroe in this episode. They talk about strategies anyone can follow to f…
Mopping Up The Riches How One Leaflet Inspired A Business Empire [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:12
FREE DOWNLOAD How YOU Can Make A FORTUNE From Buy-To-Let https://bit.ly/BUYTOLETPOD Rachel is a property investor in Peterborough, the same location as Progressive Property founders Rob and Mark. In this episode, she pro…
SELL or BUY The Truth About Raising Interest Rates [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:27
FREE DOWNLOAD How YOU Can Make A FORTUNE From Buy-To-Let https://bit.ly/BUYTOLETPOD Kevin talks openly and factually about whether you should be selling or buying in the wake of the further BOE interest rate rise! KEY TA…
STOP Paying Too Much Tax In Your Property Business! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:17
FREE DOWNLOAD How YOU Can Make A FORTUNE From Buy-To-Let https://bit.ly/BUYTOLETPOD In this episode of the Progressive Property Podcast, Kevin discusses everyone’s most hated topic, Tax! There are new tax changes incomin…
7 Tips on How to Flip Properties For Profit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:59
FREE DOWNLOAD How YOU Can Make A FORTUNE From Buy-To-Let https://bit.ly/BUYTOLETPOD How can you flip properties easily and successfully? Listen in to this episode to hear Kevin’s 7 tips of flipping properties for profit.…
Self Management Vs Outsourcing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:40
FREE DOWNLOAD How YOU Can Make A FORTUNE From Buy-To-Let https://bit.ly/BUYTOLETPOD Should I manage my own properties or outsource them to a lettings agency? This might be a question that you are asking yourself, as you…
Real estate, AI and how it affects the Property Investor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:18
FREE DOWNLOAD How YOU Can Make A FORTUNE From Buy-To-Let https://bit.ly/BUYTOLETPOD Kev is interviewed by MJ, who is doing a dissertation around AI and wants to quiz Kev on what he thinks the impact will be on the proper…