Start with the life you want.
In business, activity is only useful if it takes you towards a clear goal. Property deserves the same thinking. An investment, a home and a place to move into after retirement can require very different choices.
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Business experience. Property perspective.
Good property decisions begin with better questions.
Before you fall in love with an apartment, find out what could make you regret buying it.
The lessons I learned building five multi-million-dollar companies now shape how I help people assess apartments in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.
Five companies
Built to multi-million-dollar scale
Investing since 19
A personal interest that became a career
A 20-step process
To help a recommendation earn its place
About Ian
Five companies taught me to ask better questions.
I’m Ian Marsh. I began investing at 19, built five multi-million-dollar companies and spent years helping business owners improve how their businesses worked.
I also wrote The Inconvenient Truth About Business Success.
One lesson sits behind the way I approach both business and property: get clear on what you want, then examine whether the decision in front of you is likely to help you get there.
That means understanding the customer, checking the numbers and being prepared to question something you’ve become excited about.
Today, I apply that thinking through Winning Edge Real Estate, helping people consider off-the-plan apartments in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.
My business background explains how I think. The homework on each property is what matters when I make a recommendation.
From business to property
The questions change a little.
The discipline carries over.
Understand who will want it.
A business needs customers. An investment property needs tenants, and an eventual sale needs buyers. I consider who would choose the apartment, why they would want to live there and how much choice they may have nearby.
Give the numbers a proper look.
A large sales figure tells you very little about what a business keeps. A rental figure tells only part of a property’s story too. Purchase price, ongoing costs and the ability to hold the property deserve attention alongside its possible benefits.
Put a process around the decision.
A clear process gives you something to work through when enthusiasm starts doing the talking. That is the role of the Winning Edge 20-Step Property Selection Process.
Be prepared to walk away.
You can like an opportunity and still decide against it. If the location, layout, value or risks don’t stack up, I want us to recognise that before you commit. A beautiful kitchen is lovely. It still can’t move the building.
In a business, you can change many of the moving parts. With an apartment, its location, orientation and much of its layout are fixed. That makes the selection decision especially important.
What this looks like in practice
Two bedrooms.
A very different decision.
Imagine two apartments with a similar asking price. Both have a balcony. Both look appealing in the brochure. Then you look a little closer.
Apartment one
Appealing at first glance.
- The balcony faces straight into another building.
- The living room is awkward to furnish.
- Storage is limited.
- There are plenty of similar apartments nearby.
Apartment two
More useful in everyday life.
- The layout makes better use of the space.
- There is more privacy.
- Everyday essentials are an easy walk away.
- There are reasons someone would choose to live there.
The second apartment still needs scrutiny. The price could be too high. The developer’s track record might raise concerns. The completion timing may not suit you. “I like it” is the beginning of the assessment.
Illustrative comparison only. These are not specific properties or predictions of future performance.
The Winning Edge approach
Give the decision a proper examination.
The 20-Step Property Selection Process helps me examine the factors behind a recommendation.
These are some of the areas we assess, rather than the complete 20 steps. The process helps us consider suitability and risks. It cannot guarantee an outcome.
Location and nearby supply
What makes the address appealing, and what else could compete with it.
Floorplan and daily living
Usable space, storage, privacy, orientation and how the home actually works.
Value and the developer
The asking price, comparable options and the people responsible for delivery.
Owner-occupier appeal and resale
Who may want to own it in the future, as well as who may rent it now.
Your circumstances
Purpose, budget, timing and the compromises you are willing to make.
Author and business builder
The book behind the thinking.
The Inconvenient Truth About Business Success
I wrote this book for business owners who wanted more from their business and their life.
It explores the thinking behind their decisions: getting clear on what they want, taking a strategic approach, building systems and making changes they may have been putting off.
- Turn a broad ambition into a practical plan.
- Make small improvements across a business.
- Build systems so everything does not depend on you.
- Lead a team and make difficult decisions.
It remains a book about business. The connection to property is how those lessons can help you think more clearly about a major decision.
“A must-read for small-to-medium business owners.”John Dwyer · Business book endorsement
"Why most Business Owners don't become Millionaires and the One simple thing that can change that."
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It is NOT about getting more customers for your business - yet these secrets will help you exponentially get MORE customers than you ever had before.
It is NOT about increasing your profits - yet these secrets will increase your profits MORE than any cost cutting or business performance strategy ever could.
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Bad business performance is often a symptom of an underlying problem that’s a little harder to see (the bad news), but can be fixed (that’s the good news). Inside this book, you will find how to change the level of thinking that is holding you back from being the successful business owner YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE.
Business consulting experience
What business clients have said.
These clients worked with me in business consulting. Their comments relate to that work and are separate from my property recommendations.
Historical business consulting testimonials. Individual experiences vary. These comments do not describe property investment returns.
"When we met Ian we were moving around one trailer per mth for around $20k. Within 3 months of implementing Ian’s Systems we were doing between 4 and 5 horse floats a month."
James and Alex Medved,
Equiluxe Horse Floats
"I was $3 mil in Debt and thought life was over, but, within 3 years I have eliminated the debt and have a thriving business.
For every $1.00 I have invested I have received $15.00 back."
For every $1.00 I have invested I have received $15.00 back."
John Dwyer
"For 25 years we were tied to the business. After implementing the Streetsmart Systems into our company, we now have the freedom and benefits of owning a Business, not a Job."
Ali and Danny Halupka,
Grant Sheds
'The Inconvenient Truth About Business Success' on
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Regal Bloodstock
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Your next property decision
Start with what you want your property to do for you.
We’ll talk through your plans, concerns and timing before discussing properties. If something appears suitable, I’ll explain why it is worth considering and what still needs checking.
If it doesn’t fit, I’ll tell you.
0466 427 900A home with less upkeep.
For downsizers, that might mean less maintenance, more privacy, a useful balcony and an easy walk for your morning coffee.
An investment you understand.
For investors, it means examining tenant demand, competing supply, ongoing costs and who might want to buy the property later.
A home for later.
If you plan to rent it out now and move in later, both sets of needs deserve attention.
Brisbane and Gold Coast apartments.
A few useful answers
Before we talk.
Do I need to be a business owner?
No. My business background explains my approach. The property discussion is about your plans, whether you are downsizing, investing or looking for a future home.
Is the book a property investment guide?
No. The Inconvenient Truth About Business Success is a business book. The connection is the thinking behind a decision. Our property selection process deals with the property itself.
Can we speak if I am still exploring?
Yes. An initial conversation can help clarify what matters to you and whether there is a useful next step. You do not need to arrive with an apartment already chosen.
Does the selection process guarantee an outcome?
No. Property values, rents and costs can change, and off-the-plan purchases carry risks such as completion delays. The process helps us examine suitability and risks; it cannot guarantee an outcome.
