Not a builder? Not a problem

Bob's tip: big baits catch big fish

Builders and developers: two different roles

A developer's job in one sentence

A week in the life: duplex under construction

How long a site visit really takes

What developers don't do

Why you don't need a construction background

What you can leave to the builder

Jenny and Richie: nine apartments, no hammer

Hours per week during construction

Can not being a builder be an advantage?

Golden handcuffs: builders and good jobs

How much work at the start?

Finding a site and the time it takes

About four or five hours a week on average

The two busiest periods of a project

Henry: a senior job and three projects

How much learning before you start?

Watch the first third, then get started

Joint ventures and finding investors

A new student's list of JV partners

Have investor conversations early

The end of construction and marketing

Rapid fire: developer or hand it off?

Students from every background

Ollie the chef, Gary, Mark and more

No correlation with your background

Start with 10 hours a week, then less

Never set foot on a site? Do this

How proud would you be?

Free masterclass on 21 November

A lot of people think property developers are builders. Most are not. Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton unpack what a developer actually does, week to week, and why you do not need a construction background, a trade or a degree to do it.

Bob describes a developer's job in one sentence, walks through a normal week on a duplex under construction, explains what you can leave to the builder, and shares what a project really takes in hours: around four or five a week on average, up to ten in the two busy periods. Hilary and Bob cover the golden handcuffs that keep builders and well-paid professionals stuck, how much learning you need before you look for a site, why investor conversations should start early, a rapid-fire round on what the developer does versus hands off, and the chefs, pharmacists, marketers and telco managers who became developers through the mentoring program.

The takeaway: a developer coordinates people to create a project. Everyone else does the work. If you want to do it, you can, whatever you do now.

Free Profit with Property Development Masterclass, Saturday 21 November 2026, 9am to 1pm AEDT, live on Zoom: https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/profit-with-property-development-masterclass/

Hosted by Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton of Property Mastermind.

Not A Builder? Not A Problem. What Property Developers Actually Do | EP 276

Cheap decisions, expensive consequences

Bob's tip: $5 on Australia

Today: when to cut corners, and when not to

Draftsman, building designer or architect?

Architects who forget the build cost

Moving a window to cut the build cost

Non-standard windows: $100,000 extra

Ceiling heights and the hidden extras

Cantilevers, steel and fire separation

Is the cheapest consultant a good idea?

How Bob chooses a town planner

Over-engineered structural designs

What to look for besides price

Saving on finishes without losing value

Less stonework, same sale price

When down-specing hurts the sale price

Rentals versus owner-occupiers

The cheapest builder

Why variations cost you

Due diligence and consultant fees

Seven architects, fees 2.5 times apart

The cheap survey that cost more

Marketing and staging

Running our own Google ads

Doing the work yourself

What is your time worth?

Cutting corners on feasibilities

Costs new developers leave out

When you cannot let a site go

Saving money on education

The $10,000 walk-away

Build for profit, not for cheap

Everyone wants to save money on a development, but there is a big difference between being smart with your money and penny pinching. Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton work through where property developers can sensibly save, and where cutting corners ends up costing far more.

Bob covers choosing between a building designer and an architect, the non-standard windows that added over $100,000 to one duplex, why the cheapest consultant is rarely the cheapest in the end, how over-engineered structural plans inflate costs, where you can trim finishes without touching the sale price, builders and variations, the cheap survey that had to be redone, staging and marketing, doing jobs yourself, and the costs people leave out of a feasibility.

The takeaway: the goal is not the cheapest development, it is the most profitable one. Sometimes that means spending less and sometimes it means spending more. The skill is knowing the difference.

Free Profit with Property Development Masterclass, Saturday 21 November 2026, 9am to 1pm AEDT, live on Zoom: https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/profit-with-property-development-masterclass/

Hosted by Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton of Property Mastermind.

Cheap Decisions, Expensive Consequences: Cutting Corners in Property Development | EP 275

You don't need to be ready to start

Bob's tip: in heaven there is no beer

Why people wait, and getting off the fence

Was Bob ready when he started?

Ready and willing, not necessarily able

Finding your why

Bob's plan: a job selling land subdivisions

Nobody to learn from back then

What you don't need in place

Don't wait for all the ducks to line up

"I'll wait until the market settles"

Does a perfect property market exist?

Why now is a good time

Pockets: pick an area and dig in deep

Do you need to know the whole process?

The first three steps are what matter now

The danger of educating yourself for years

The man who did every course and no project

No site yet? What to do first

Why people stop after their first project

Build your team before you find a site

Who actually does it, and who doesn't

Certainty comes from moving, not waiting

How small hold-ups derail momentum

Confidence is built one action at a time

"What do I actually say?" Baby steps

Action, traction, momentum

What to do on Monday morning

The free masterclass on 21 November

Six things you don't need

A student whose project is running smoothly

Wrap up: in the game or on the sideline

Most people who want to do property development are waiting for something: enough money, enough knowledge, the right market, the right site, enough confidence. Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton unpack what ready really looks like, and why you are probably closer than you think.

Bob explains why he was not ready when he started, short on money, short on knowledge and with nobody to learn from, and went ahead anyway. He and Hilary cover why a perfect property market does not exist, which parts of the process you need to understand now and which can wait, the danger of educating yourself for years without acting, who to have on your team before you find a site, why people stall after their first project, and how confidence is actually built, one action at a time.

The takeaway: you do not need to quit your job, know everything, be a builder, have found a site, have a million dollars or feel completely confident. You need a reason, the first few steps, and the willingness to take them.

Free Profit with Property Development Masterclass, Saturday 21 November 2026, 9am to 1pm AEDT, live on Zoom: https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/profit-with-property-development-masterclass/

Hosted by Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton of Property Mastermind.

You Don't Need to Be Ready to Start Property Development (Here's What You Do Need) | EP 274

Make decisions, take the hits, become a develo

Bob's tip: go light after a break from the gym

Soft skills weave through the process

Decision-making under uncertainty

Nothing is ever 100 percent: rates, market, bu

A call that proved right: pulling out of apart

A call that proved right: walking away from a

A good small call: lifts and 3m ceilings in a

The deal Bob wishes he hadn't done

Resilience: taking the hits without catastroph

Two builders went bankrupt: what happened

Find experts, set a plan, stick to it

Mindset: let go of the plan, keep the good stu

Leadership: organised, a plan, clear roles

Ten minutes a day on your systems

The valuation that expired a day before settle

Lead the experts without being one, don't micr

Self-awareness: your triggers show up in your

The architect and town planner who didn't get

Optimists, pessimists, and sticking to the fac

Confidence: property development is a confiden

Stop listening and do one step a day

The free November masterclass

Confidence is built, speed bumps and all

Competence first, then confidence

You have to know the game you're playing

Wrap up: a game everybody can play

Property development is a process, but woven through it are the skills that make the process happen: making decisions when nothing is certain, leading a team of experts, knowing your own triggers, and building the confidence to act.

Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton pick up where last week's people-skills episode left off. Bob explains what he did when two builders went bankrupt mid-project, the valuation that expired one day before settlement, and the architect and town planner who should never have been hired together. 

The takeaway: competence builds confidence, confidence is built one step a day, and whether your gap is a hard skill or a soft skill, you can build it. 

Property development is a game everybody can play, but you need to know the game you are playing.

Free Profit with Property Development Masterclass, Saturday 21 November 2026, 9am to 1pm AEDT. Register here: https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/profit-with-property-development-masterclass/

Hosted by Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton of Property Mastermind.

Property development is a process, but woven through it are the skills that make the process happen: making decisions when nothing is certain, leading a team of experts, knowing your own triggers, and building the confidence to act. Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton pick up where last week's people-skills episode left off. Bob explains what he did when two builders went bankrupt mid-project, the valuation that expired one day before settlement, and the architect and town planner who should never have been hired together.&nbsp; The takeaway: competence builds confidence, confidence is built one step a day, and whether your gap is a hard skill or a soft skill, you can build it. Property development is a game everybody can play, but you need to know the game you are playing. Free Profit with Property Development Masterclass, Saturday 21 November 2026, 9am to 1pm AEDT. Register here: <a href="https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/profit-with-property-development-masterclass/">https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/profit-with-property-development-masterclass/</a> Hosted by Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton of Property Mastermind.

Are you the weak link in your Property Development? Decisions, Setbacks and Confidence | EP 273

The people skills nobody puts in the feasibili

Good morning Bob, and why the intro never chan

Why this episode: a student who loses momentum

The procrastinator, the diver-in, the overthin

Competence creates confidence, but action is s

Skill 1: communication and listening

Twelve people in a duplex, and dealing with eg

Imposter syndrome and speaking up to consultan

Listening: isolate the real issue, no tangents

The rubbish bag: deal with small things as the

Skill 2: negotiation, and where it actually ha

Do you negotiate consultant fees?

Land plus build is 82 percent of your costs

Assertive, not a bully

A builder's market, and 4 percent off a contra

Skill 3: relationships, trust and networking

Agents: say why it doesn't stack up, and stay

Helping a student write a brief for agents

Trust, and why a good buyer's agent gets recom

The builder: the longest relationship in a bui

The October workshop

Networking: be inquisitive, and say what you w

Skill 4: emotional intelligence and hard conve

Agents who stonewall

Cost blowouts, delays and liquidated damages

Detailed plans and documentation prevent argum

Recap: which skill do you need to work on?

Confidence with people is the game changer

Property development is a people game. Negotiation, conflict, getting people on site, keeping a builder onside. None of it appears in the feasibility, and Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton argue it decides outcomes just as often as the numbers do.

Prompted by a new mentoring student who gets excited by the podcast and then loses momentum, Hilary and Bob work through the skills that turn knowledge into action: communication and listening, negotiation, relationships and trust, networking, and emotional intelligence in difficult conversations.

Bob explains how he isolates the real issue when a consultant or builder dumps everything at once, why the two numbers worth negotiating hard are the land and the build, what to say to an agent when a site doesn't stack up so they keep sending you deals, and why a detailed set of plans and a proper building contract prevent most arguments before they start.

The takeaway: competence creates confidence, but confidence with people is what gets a development finished. Pick the one skill you need to work on and start there.

The Property Development and Joint Ventures Workshop kicks off online on Thursday 1 October, then runs live on the Gold Coast 9 to 11 October 2026: https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/property-development-and-joint-ventures-workshop/

 Hosted by Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton of Property Mastermind.

Property development is a people game. Negotiation, conflict, getting people on site, keeping a builder onside. None of it appears in the feasibility, and Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton argue it decides outcomes just as often as the numbers do.
Prompted by a new mentoring student who gets excited by the podcast and then loses momentum, Hilary and Bob work through the skills that turn knowledge into action: communication and listening, negotiation, relationships and trust, networking, and emotional intelligence in difficult conversations.
Bob explains how he isolates the real issue when a consultant or builder dumps everything at once, why the two numbers worth negotiating hard are the land and the build, what to say to an agent when a site doesn't stack up so they keep sending you deals, and why a detailed set of plans and a proper building contract prevent most arguments before they start.
The takeaway: competence creates confidence, but confidence with people is what gets a development finished. Pick the one skill you need to work on and start there.
The Property Development and Joint Ventures Workshop kicks off online on Thursday 1 October, then runs live on the Gold Coast 9 to 11 October 2026: <a href="https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/property-development-and-joint-ventures-workshop/">https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/property-development-and-joint-ventures-workshop/</a>
&nbsp;Hosted by Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton of Property Mastermind.

The Best People Skills In Property Development | Ep: 272

Are you walking away from deals you could actu

Good morning Bob, cruises and the road to epis

Book winner: Jared Beckett

The October workshop: property development AND

"My first two deals were joint ventures"

Deal one: vendor finance with Tony, "money's t

Some money but not enough: the tripping point

Make your own luck: selling land to become a d

Deal two: a joint venture with an equity partn

Why people want to do deals with you once you'

Project one: 16 industrial units at North Harb

Finding a lot nobody was selling

An option, a DA before settlement, then the sy

Investors on site at the open day

It's all just paperwork on the side of a norma

Project two: the childcare refurb

A 32-year-old centre, a tenant first, then the

Vandals, flooding, mould, and the silver linin

Higher rent, higher value: the cap rate win

Project three: 24 industrial units at Bundamba

Top-ups: $120k and $350k from investors at int

Why waiting to save up costs you years

The financier is the best JV partner you'll ev

The many ways to cut a joint venture

Wrap up: this is your first duck aligning

How to reach us and the workshop

In this episode Bob and Hilary unpack Joint Ventures.

Bob goes back to his first two projects, both joint ventures. 

The first was a vendor finance deal with a landowner named Tony, who told him "money's the easiest part" and then showed him how to do a four-lot subdivision with a second mortgage instead of a deposit. 

The second was an equity partner deal with his sister's boyfriend, where Bob put in no money at all. Then they walk through three syndicated projects.

Ultra Urban has on the go right now: 16 industrial units at North Harbour, a childcare centre refurb, and 24 industrial units at Bundamba, including the vandalism, the mould, the $120,000 and $350,000 top-ups, and why none of it was a problem. 

The takeaway: the financier already puts in at least four times what you do and only wants an interest return. 

If you are short on the rest, there is a joint venture structure for that, and waiting five or ten years to save it up is the expensive option. 

Learn more about our workshop here: https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/property-development-and-joint-ventures-workshop/


Hosted by Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton of Property Mastermind.

In this episode Bob and Hilary unpack Joint Ventures. Bob goes back to his first two projects, both joint ventures. The first was a vendor finance deal with a landowner named Tony, who told him "money's the easiest part" and then showed him how to do a four-lot subdivision with a second mortgage instead of a deposit. The second was an equity partner deal with his sister's boyfriend, where Bob put in no money at all. Then they walk through three syndicated projects. Ultra Urban has on the go right now: 16 industrial units at North Harbour, a childcare centre refurb, and 24 industrial units at Bundamba, including the vandalism, the mould, the $120,000 and $350,000 top-ups, and why none of it was a problem. The takeaway: the financier already puts in at least four times what you do and only wants an interest return. If you are short on the rest, there is a joint venture structure for that, and waiting five or ten years to save it up is the expensive option. Learn more about our workshop here: <a href="https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/property-development-and-joint-ventures-workshop/">https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/property-development-and-joint-ventures-workshop/</a> Hosted by Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton of Property Mastermind.

Are You Walking Away From Deals You Could Actually Do? (Joint Ventures Explained) | EP 271

Can AI do a property development feasibility for you? Hilary Saxton and Aaron Ralph put the newest ChatGPT model to the test, live on screen. They hand it a real duplex site they have already developed with some of their students and sold and ask it to work out whether the deal stacks up. The actual result on that project was a $604,000 profit at 16% return on cost (ROC).

ChatGPT researched, produced spreadsheets, and came back very confidently with a $125,000 loss. Even after Aaron gave it the 3 biggest numbers in the feasibility, the land, the construction cost and the gross realisation value (GRV), it still landed on an 11% return - a deal no lender would fund.

Along the way Aaron and Hilary explain what an AI agent actually is, why AI generalises toward the median, what the valuer's methodology is and why it matters for finance, how we run our own models 24/7 to do feasibilities and hunt for sites, and where AI genuinely shines for developers.

The takeaway: use AI, but the specialist knowledge still has to come from you.

Hosted by Hilary Saxton with Aaron Ralph - Property Mastermind.

Can AI do a property development feasibility for you? Hilary Saxton and Aaron Ralph put the newest ChatGPT model to the test, live on screen. They hand it a real duplex site they have already developed with some of their students and sold and ask it to work out whether the deal stacks up. The actual result on that project was a $604,000 profit at 16% return on cost (ROC).
ChatGPT researched, produced spreadsheets, and came back very confidently with a $125,000 loss. Even after Aaron gave it the 3 biggest numbers in the feasibility, the land, the construction cost and the gross realisation value (GRV), it still landed on an 11% return - a deal no lender would fund.
Along the way Aaron and Hilary explain what an AI agent actually is, why AI generalises toward the median, what the valuer's methodology is and why it matters for finance, how we run our own models 24/7 to do feasibilities and hunt for sites, and where AI genuinely shines for developers.
The takeaway: use AI, but the specialist knowledge still has to come from you.
Hosted by Hilary Saxton with Aaron Ralph - Property Mastermind.

Can ChatGPT do your Property Development Feasibility? (We tested it live!) | EP 270

Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton unpack this year's Property Development and Joint Ventures Workshop, three full days on the Gold Coast from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October, plus a two hour online kickoff session on Thursday 1 October.

This year's workshop covers the complete A to Z of property development through Property Mastermind's nine step process, from sorting your finance and finding a site that stacks up, right through to banking your profit at the end. It is built for beginners first, and the majority of people who have come through the program started exactly there. But it is not only for beginners. Bob and Hilary explain why so many people come back (the record is nine workshops) and why hearing the process again is what turns knowledge into second nature.

What makes this workshop different is that joint ventures and creative finance strategies are woven right through it. If you have been waiting to save up enough cash to do your first development, Bob's message is simple: you will probably be waiting a long time, and you don't have to. Loan partners, equity partners, options, small capital raising's and land owner joint ventures are all ways to get moving now, whether it is your first project or your second while the first is still under way.

They also talk about the part that is hard to explain until you have been in the room: the networking. Morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and happy hour every day, a community where nobody sits alone, and joint venture partnerships that form at the workshop itself, year after year.

Early bird pricing is on now. Use the code EARLYBIRD at checkout to save $1,000 off the standard $3,997 ticket, ending 13 September. Past attendees can return for just $495.

Workshop details and tickets:
https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/property-development-and-joint-ventures-workshop/

Attended a Property Mastermind workshop before? Reserve your seat here: https://buy.stripe.com/6oU00c9LEaFf5BS4TfdIA1Z

Questions? Email admin@propertymastermind.com.au

Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton unpack this year's Property Development and Joint Ventures Workshop, three full days on the Gold Coast from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October, plus a two hour online kickoff session on Thursday 1 October.
This year's workshop covers the complete A to Z of property development through Property Mastermind's nine step process, from sorting your finance and finding a site that stacks up, right through to banking your profit at the end. It is built for beginners first, and the majority of people who have come through the program started exactly there. But it is not only for beginners. Bob and Hilary explain why so many people come back (the record is nine workshops) and why hearing the process again is what turns knowledge into second nature.
What makes this workshop different is that joint ventures and creative finance strategies are woven right through it. If you have been waiting to save up enough cash to do your first development, Bob's message is simple: you will probably be waiting a long time, and you don't have to. Loan partners, equity partners, options, small capital raising's and land owner joint ventures are all ways to get moving now, whether it is your first project or your second while the first is still under way.
They also talk about the part that is hard to explain until you have been in the room: the networking. Morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and happy hour every day, a community where nobody sits alone, and joint venture partnerships that form at the workshop itself, year after year.
Early bird pricing is on now. Use the code EARLYBIRD at checkout to save $1,000 off the standard $3,997 ticket, ending 13 September. Past attendees can return for just $495.
Workshop details and tickets: <a href="https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/property-development-and-joint-ventures-workshop/">https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/property-development-and-joint-ventures-workshop/</a>
Attended a Property Mastermind workshop before? Reserve your seat here: <a href="https://buy.stripe.com/6oU00c9LEaFf5BS4TfdIA1Z?fbclid=IwcGRvZgFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE5M2hjb0lTNVdVWGdhUDNBc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmPFhEtcGvvxFCG5lqcmkB62KGzd0wC9NBKblFHwSKf-UE_yfZPPLwAr3PAW_aem_v_zUod6ki8SoFIG38m9IOQ">https://buy.stripe.com/6oU00c9LEaFf5BS4TfdIA1Z</a>
Questions? Email admin@propertymastermind.com.au

Our 3 Day Property Development & Joint Ventures Workshop: Who It's For and What You'll Learn

Every new property developer hits the same sticking points. Not hundreds of them, five big ones. And once you can see them clearly, they stop being reasons to wait.

In this episode Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton unpack the five questions that stall new developers: 1. How much equity you actually need (and the simple rule of thumb to work it out)

2. Why development finance is nothing like the retail finance you're used to

3. How to choose your patch and become the local expert

4. Why the profit is decided at the start with an accurate feasibility

5. Why you don't need to know everything, you just need the right people around you.

It's all delivered in plain English, including the leverage example that shows how putting in one fifth of the costs can turn a 20% project margin into a 100% return on your money.

In this episode:
How much equity you actually need, with the one-fifth to one-sixth of GRV rule of thumb
Leverage explained simply, and why financiers put in most of the money
Development finance vs retail finance, and why your local bank isn't the lender
Choosing your patch and becoming the local expert
Why the profit is decided at the start, not the end, and how feasibility drives everything
Building your team: the architect, town planner, engineers and builder, so you don't have to know it all

 

To learn more about our upcoming 3 day workshop, click here: https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/property-development-and-joint-ventures-workshop/

 

Every new property developer hits the same sticking points. Not hundreds of them, five big ones. And once you can see them clearly, they stop being reasons to wait.
In this episode Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton unpack the five questions that stall new developers: 1. How much equity you actually need (and the simple rule of thumb to work it out)
2. Why development finance is nothing like the retail finance you're used to
3. How to choose your patch and become the local expert
4. Why the profit is decided at the start with an accurate feasibility
5. Why you don't need to know everything, you just need the right people around you.
It's all delivered in plain English, including the leverage example that shows how putting in one fifth of the costs can turn a 20% project margin into a 100% return on your money.
In this episode:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">How much equity you actually need, with the one-fifth to one-sixth of GRV rule of thumb</li>
<li aria-level="1">Leverage explained simply, and why financiers put in most of the money</li>
<li aria-level="1">Development finance vs retail finance, and why your local bank isn't the lender</li>
<li aria-level="1">Choosing your patch and becoming the local expert</li>
<li aria-level="1">Why the profit is decided at the start, not the end, and how feasibility drives everything</li>
<li aria-level="1">Building your team: the architect, town planner, engineers and builder, so you don't have to know it all</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
To learn more about our upcoming 3 day workshop, click here: <a href="https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/property-development-and-joint-ventures-workshop/">https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/property-development-and-joint-ventures-workshop/</a>
&nbsp;

Where New Developers Get Stuck- The 5 Big Ones (EP: 269)

Property Mastermind Podcast with Bob Andersen & Hilary Saxton

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