Are UK Property Exhibitions Worthwhile?
I noticed the other day that there is another property exhibition looming. A few years ago when the market was boiling hot, they were being held twice a year, because the pickings of investors willing to splash the cash was huge. I have to say I am a little jaded with the format. They are generally aimed at new investors ( which for me always rings alarm bells) and the main ones take the guise of ‘education’ with seminars and stands.
Remember-It’s About sales Folks!
If you plan to attend one of these events, you should remember that they are primarily sales drives above all else. However, there is an argument on the plus side in that you might pick up some tips from the various ‘experts’. I am skeptical because in the past these events were used as grooming grounds to extract cash from the unwary. I even helped on someones stand for the weekend and the behavior I saw to get sales in disgusted me.
Many of the exhibitors used to boast afterward about how much money they made from exhibition sign up’s. Plenty of those companies, are now bankrupt because they did not run a sustainable business.
Perusing the list online for the latest event, I see a few notable property sharks both in the speakers list and on the exhibition stands. If you remember from our blogs last year there was an interesting altercation between an attendee and exhibitor regarding Ocean Estates- who ripped people off then re-branded and were at the next event selling to a different crowd. Read about that here.
Property Developer Seminars, Courses & Books
An example of the previous exhibitors are the likes of Inside Track etc. A simple internet search will provide you with enough negative data and experience.There’s also plenty of property expert courses/ book sellers trying to teach you how to be a developer or landlord etc. The interesting difference is that it would seem that they have tried to temper the pure sales pitch with some seminars that appear to be on the negative front. ( Of course, that could just be a marketing hook to get folks to attend too.)
Those of you who follow property will know that Inside Track ripped people off by hanging on to their money for years on end and not providing the investment. A friend of mine invested £25k with this company 6 years ago and the development is still not built because they never had the planning in the first place.
These exhibitions are where many folk are sold the dream of owning foreign property, or making vast fortunes from it, particularly off-plan-which is a highly speculative investment. It’s a dream which has turned into a nightmare for many.
So, I would like to inject a note of caution for those planning to attend. See it for what it is -purely a sales drive for the speakers and exhibitors to bring in money. Go with this in mind, or for some entertainment, and maybe to pick up a few hints and tips to make your own portfolio more profitable. But don’t get sucked in to the over hyped dreams being sold in the arena.
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