Property Developer Podcast

Property development has always been a balancing act — but right now the scales feel especially heavy. Rising construction costs, messy feasibilities, shifting lender appetite, and a market still absorbing the post-COVID shock are making it harder than ever to get a project funded and delivered. If you’ve been feeling the squeeze, this episode will help you understand what’s really going on behind the scenes. In this episode of the Property Developer Podcast, we speak with Zac Constantinou, who started his career delivering medium and high-density projects in Sydney before moving into the finance world where he now works on construction funding and private capital at Shore Financial. Having worked both on site and on the lending side, Zac offers a rare perspective on what makes a project viable — and what sinks it. We cover a wide range of practical insights, including: Why “buying well” is still the most important part of development How private capital has stepped in as bank appetite has tightened

Property development in Australia is getting harder—and this episode unpacks why. Soaring costs, endless planning delays, contradictory government policies, and a risk-averse planning culture are pushing developers to the edge. If you're struggling to make your numbers work, you're not alone. In this episode of the Property Developer Podcast, we explore what’s broken in the system and what needs to change. Our guest, Maxwell Shifman from Intrapac Property, shares blunt insights from the front lines of residential property development including: Why planning systems are paralysed by zero-risk thinking How rising construction and infrastructure costs are crushing feasibility The myth of affordable apartments near train stations Why government housing targets are set up to fail How rezoning taxes and red tape are stalling supply The real reason developers are shelving projects across Australia Strategies for surviving and adapting in today’s tough market "We tax housing like we want less of it—t

There are few things more complicated during a property development than the builder going bust during the construction phase of a project. It puts you in a very precarious position and becomes very tricky to navigate. So many issues have to be resolved and the whole process can be very stressful and time consuming. This is exactly what happened with property developer and development financier Dan Holden from Holden Capital. During a construction phase his builder went bust through no fault of his project, and he had to scramble to fix it. I have also had my own issues with a builder facing difficulties during a building phase, so have some experience of what it is like to wonder if the building will ever be finished. Given all the turmoil in the building industry over the past few years, we look at how you can protect yourself for a building disaster and set your project up for construction success. In this episode, Dan and I discuss: The current state of the lending market and what it means for deve

Steve Maroun has an interesting story to share about his journey into property development. Interestingly, Steve started studying law at university while running a property maintenance business. He then realised that law was not for him and he got his builder's license and moved into property development, following in the footsteps of his father. After completing an apartment complex project on the property next door to where he lived, he made the move into luxury, high end projects to capitalise on market opportunities. Keep an ear out for how Steve explains the difference between developing a mid-range product versus a lux finish project. We have also discuss how to navigate through the many challenges that you face as a property developer. Property Development Training If you are interested in learning the fundamentals of property development, in your own time and at your own pace, then be sure to head over to www.propertydevelopertraining.com and take a look. I take you step by step through the developm

Managing a project remotely comes with some unique challenges. Keeping the team on the same page and working together can be difficult when you can't just drop by the site for a meeting. Mark Gallo is a Sydney based mortgage broker who is currently doing a duplex project in Victoria. Mark shares with us how and why he ended up doing a project interstate, the lessons he has learned about managing from a distance and some finance tips for how to position your project to obtain the best funding in the current lending markets. Property Development Training If you are interested in learning the fundamentals of property development, in your own time and at your own pace, then be sure to head over to www.propertydevelopertraining.com and take a look. I take you step by step through the development process so you know exactly what is needed to find a site, run a feasibility and complete a small scale property development, be that a duplex or 3 or 4 unit site. The training includes bonus programs called Raising Capit

Imagine going from no property development experience to delivering one of the most iconic towers overlooking Central Park in New York City, one of the world’s most expensive real estate markets.  David Juracich did just that. David is originally from Australia before moving overseas to work in banking and finance. He ended up in New York City and was involved with building an amazing slimline residential tower overlooking Central Park along what has become known as Billionaire’s Row. I thought my first project being 20 townhomes was a great start, but this guy did a huge apartment project in Brooklyn for his first development project. His story of how he got involved with property development in New York City is quite amazing, and includes his involvement in an 84 level slimline skyscraper called Steinway Tower overlooking Central Park which apparently cost $2bn to build, yes that’s $2 billion dollars. Can you imagine the capital stack on that project? This is quite an incredible story of a guy stumbling

Bouncing back after adversity is a story we all love, so hearing from a developer who went big only for things to unravel with costly and complex legal challenges is a fascinating insight into always striving toward your life goals. Iwan Sunito from One Global Capital is a seasoned property developer who has enjoyed several decades of success doing some major projects under his former company Crown Group. Crown developed some significant projects over the years to the value of around $4 billion before Iwan and his business partner had a falling out, which has led to a series of legal battles and ongoing challenges, which we discuss during our conversation. Iwan says One Goal Capital has a $1 billion pipeline of work that he is focused on to continue his vision of delivering city shaping projects. This was a really interesting chat for me because way back when I started the podcast and I was thinking about people I would like to have on the show Iwan was on the list so it was great to finally be able to sit

Tackling your first development project is usually an emotional journey and it was no different for a young architect who turned her focus on delivering an exquisite duplex property. Jenn Sinclair accidentally discovered that she had bought a former meth lab as the property she planned on turning into a luxury home. It was the start of her journey toward becoming a property developer. She was inspired by designing and building her family home and decided to take on a duplex project and test her skills out to see if she could successfully execute a development project. Jenn decided to do two very different interiors and finishes on each unit and this created challenges along the way as she often doubled her choices and decision making. Jenn invested a lot of time and emotion into her project and learnt a lot along the way which she shares with us including: - the difference a great builder can make during a project - trusting in yourself to deliver something special - working collaboratively with your team

Understanding the rhythm and cycle of the property market is obviously extremely beneficial to property developers so you can plan the best time to deliver projects and maximise profits. Being aware of when the market is likely to boom or go bust can help you ride out the cycles and endure over the long term. Today’s guest is Phillip Anderson from Property Sharemarket Economics. Phil is the author of the book The Secret Life of Real Estate and Banking, an investment analyst and an investor. Phil’s book outlines a seemingly recurring economic cycle that takes around 18 years to complete and has a major impact on the property market. Understanding the rhythm and cycle of the market is obviously extremely beneficial to property developers so I wanted to have this conversation to help you with your investing and developing. I think there are some great insights from Phil’s work and I wanted to have this conversation to help you with your investing and developing. We discuss: - the 18 year real estate cycle and

The impact of rising construction costs and increasing interest rates has been acutely felt across the development industry and economy more broadly. Managing these costs has been top of the list for many property developers. In this episode we speak with regular guest Dan Holden from Holden Capital about the state of the lending market and what's ahead for the next 12 months. We cover how construction delays have been affecting projects, the impact of rising costs and how lenders are responding. Property Development Training If you are interested in learning the fundamentals of property development, in your own time and at your own pace, then be sure to head over to www.propertydevelopertraining.com and take a look. I take you step by step through the development process so you know exactly what is needed to find a site, run a feasibility and complete a small scale property development, be that a duplex or 3 or 4 unit site. The training includes bonus programs called Raising Capital (learn the essentials ar

Does working in a property-related trade mean you can easily transition into the world of property developer? Just because you understand one small part of a development project doesn’t automatically mean you can run a development project, but it can certainly help. My guest on this episode is Mark Lovett from Liquid Silver Developments. Mark has a long and storied career doing small to medium scale development projects, starting out as a plasterer before moving into property investing. He then decided to try his hand at property developing and purchased his first site with absolutely no idea of what he was doing, and later found out there was an underground stream running through the site. We have a great conversation covering things like: - Understanding your risk appetite and how that will effect your decision making - How his initial due diligence evolved from doing nothing - What he has done throughout his career that has helped him succeed. Link - Liquid Silver Developments - https://www.liquidsilve

Working on luxury projects is often a dream for many people who get involved with property developing, moving from renovations and entry level projects to something more challenging and high-end. Justin O'Donnell from Cielo Property Group has followed this path and started out with small projects before evolving into luxury townhouses and apartment projects. Along the way he has faced many challenges, and he shares how he overcame them and some of lessons learned including the benefits of growing slowly, responding to the challenges of construction by taking on the building risk, and the perennial issue of obtaining permits from councils. Listen in for why Justin decided to target the luxury end of the residential market and how it differs from other parts of the property sector. Link Cielo Property Group - https://www.cielogroup.com.au Become a Million Dollar Property Developer Grab my book Become a Million Dollar Property Developer about my journey into property development. This book is ideal for anyone

There are many skills from other industries and careers that can translate well to property development. After all, delivering a property development project is really about working with people, solving problems and managing a budget, so making the move from management consultant to property developer might not be as crazy as it sounds. Leonie Akhidenor from View Bank Homes did make the switch from being a successful management consultant to taking up a role in the family property business, something she swore would never happen. Leonie is now a second generation property developer who has stepped into the family’s building and developing business. She is deeply involved with all aspects of projects and brings her strategy and processes training to the table to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in all aspects of the business. In this discussion we cover: - how Leonie went from management consultant to property developer - the challenges their projects have faced over the past few years - and how more wome

Success in property developing is about supplying the right product in the right place at the right time. But how do you figure all that out? Legendary market analyst John Lindeman has been helping property investors make informed decisions about where to find the next hot spot and what stock is in demand. John’s accuracy in predicting the nature and direction of housing markets is legendary. So it is awesome to have him with us today. In this discussion we cover: - What's happening across the major Australian property markets - where are the opportunities for property developers - and what John has learned from observing Australia's property markets for many decades Keep a close ear out for the type of properties that John thinks has the greatest demand and presents immediate opportunity for smart developers. Link Lindeman Reports - https://lindemanreports.com.au Become a Million Dollar Property Developer Grab my book Become a Million Dollar Property Developer about my journey into property development. Th

Building wealth through property is a tried and tested method, with some investors succeeding in creating portfolios of strong assets that generate substantial cashflows. Julian Carlo-Stella shares how he is going about generating wealth through property development. Property in Australia has broadly performed well over time and has enabled some people to generate wealth and income. Developing new properties can be a great way of leveraging skills and creating assets at cost price rather than buying at retail and really help to accelerate wealth accumulation. Julian Carlo- Stella is implementing a strategy to create wealth through a number of colourful commercial property development projects that have yielded great lessons beyond financial results. Listen as he tells the story about he planned on going to court to get a permit on his very first project. In this discussion we cover: - how Julian started out wanting to be an architect before moving into construction management - when he realised he wanted t

Making the transition to full time property developer is an aspiration for many people that get involved with small scale developments, but how do you make the leap across the chasm? We find out from developer Nolan Keenan about how he did it. Nolan is from Aveline Property and has gone from starting out as a real estate agent before working in IT and then recently becoming a full time property developer. Nolan shares his story of progressing from a simple splitter project to now managing multiple medium density projects and setting his sights on going to even higher levels. In this conversation we cover why he decided to do his first project in another state, how planning and COVID delayed his next project, and a great discussion about how you can transition into becoming a full time property developer. Be sure to listen out for Nolan’s one key thing to understand before you jump into developing full time. Become a Million Dollar Property Developer Grab my book Become a Million Dollar Property Developer a

Property development has some inherent risks, like any business venture, and understanding what they are and how they can be mitigated is crucial to ensuring the success of any project. Ron Forlee is a real legend in Australian property development circles. Ron will be a name known to many listeners of the show having written a number of books on developing property in Australia including Australian Residential Property Development, An intelligent guide to Australian Property Development and Australian Residential Property Development for Investors. No doubt you have some of those books in your collection. So I was very excited to be able to speak with Ron for my 100th episode. Ron is a trained architect who applied his training to tackle property development projects first in South Africa and then in Australia. Following his decades of experience he then transferred his lessons and knowledge into books. I am sure you will enjoy getting to know the man behind the name as we discuss his favorite projects, w

Joint ventures are a great way to do more projects and reduce risk. Property development can at times be a lonely game so if you have other people to talk with about issues and solve problems it can really help take your developing to another level. Valerie Smith from Valsco Property Group has harnessed the power of joint ventures to enable her to take on bigger projects. Valerie and her husband have travelled the well worn path from property investors and renovators to property developers. They are now focusing on some niche disability accommodation projects to provide much needed dwellings for many Australians. In this discussion with Valerie we cover: - How more women can get into property development - the power of joint ventures to accelerate growth and reduce risk - the value of focusing on a niche product for a specific group Keep an ear out for how a shift in Valerie’s thinking around money and skills helped take her to the next level.  Link - Valsco Property Group - http://valscopg.com.au Become

No two property development projects are ever the same. Each project throws up its own challenges and opportunities. Lessons learned from each project can help to avoid or overcome issues faced on future projects. Taking the lessons learned from past property development projects can help ensure more efficient projects in the future, and provide a foundation of experience to help solve other problems. Today’s guest, Matt Campbell from Kyabel, is currently delivering 17 small scale projects and shares some of the key lessons he has learnt along the way. Matt has a background in delivering IT projects so brought his understanding of project management and problem solving to his property development career. He is currently delivering residential projects across south-east Queensland. Matt is involved with all stages of a project from site acquisition through construction to completion. In this discussion we cover: - how a change in thinking helped him take his developing to the next level - a key lesson he l

Sales are the lynch pin of any good property development project, and to get sales your product needs to appeal to a buyer. Give the buyer what they want and making the sale becomes easier. So how do you come to understand what a buyer wants? We talk to a seasoned property developer to find out what they do to profile their buyers. With Jeremy De Zylva from Resolution Property Group we cover:what Jeremy learnt from working for large corporate organizations the one key thing that developers can focus on to make their projects a success and stand out from the competition how to deal with markets changing mid-project Keep an ear out for how structures can make a big difference to being able to offer a vendor the price they want while still giving you control of the site. Become a Million Dollar Property Developer Grab my book Become a Million Dollar Property Developer about my journey into property development. This book is ideal for anyone who intends to get into small-scale property development and wan