The Patrick Leo Promise:
We work out your goals with you – not for you.

Residential property remains one of the most reliable investments - outperforming superannuation, cash and shares. 

However, not all property investments are equal and this is where Patrick Leo helps. Some generate strong incomes, capital gains and reduce your tax bill, while others can be a drain on your cashflow or equity position. At Patrick Leo, our aim is to make sure that your property investment improves your mid to long-term financial position but doesn’t interfere with your lifestyle today. 

Patrick Leo is with you every step of the way. 

We follow a very simple, 7 step process:

Discovery Session

Step 1.

We take the time to learn about you, your lifestyle, your resources, and your long-term goals. During this session we encourage you to ‘think big’ and contemplate personal and lifestyle goals as well as financial ones, keeping in mind that property isn’t necessarily the best investment for everyone. 

Strategy Development

Step 2

If we determine that property is right for you, we develop a strategy to help you reach your long-term goals without altering your lifestyle. 

Market Data & Recommendations

Step 3

Drawing on our extensive in-house resources that include national property analysts, local real estate specialists and leasing and depreciation experts, we provide the latest market data to support our recommended strategy and help you make informed decisions. 

Full due diligence is undertaken prior to any property selection, subject to strict criteria and approval from our property committee. We can even help you with referrals to solicitors, mortgage advisers and tax specialists.

Finance Approval

Step 4

With years of industry expertise and a vast network of lenders, we’ll establish the optimal loan portfolio tailored to your specific needs, taking into account both your current circumstances and your mid-long-term goals. 

Property Acquisition

Step 5

Patrick Leo will assist you with negotiating on the property price and acquiring your investment property. 

Property Management

Step 6

Patrick Leo will help you source a property manager and manage that relationship. Whether you are away for work or on holidays, you can have peace of mind that your property is in safe hands and we will keep you informed with regular feedback.

Ongoing Review Service

Step 7

Property markets are dynamic and we ensure clients are kept up to date through regular market updates, newsletters, seminars and workshops as well as exclusive private client briefings.

We schedule regular reviews of your investment to ensure it performs at optimal levels and to make any necessary changes that might be needed to accommodate shifts in your lifestyle or mid-long-term goals.

We don’t find the family home – we find investment properties with growth potential for wealth creation.
 

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The Patrick Leo team deals directly with developers, builders and vendors on a daily basis. We manage these relationships to maintain intimate knowledge of the market conditions and up-to-date information on future projects.

Therefore, our clients have the choice of existing properties, house and land packages, and off-the-plan properties for consideration. Don't worry, we'll help you decide which one is best for your goals, and we won't ever push you to buy. We're not in the business of flogging you real estate if it's not right for you.

We search Australia-wide for the very best property to add to your investment portfolio.  Importantly, our team are licensed real estate agents across Australia so we can spot a good buy for our clients and act straight away.

Need more information? Read through our Case Studies below
or Contact us today to start a conversation about WEALTH CREATION through property.

CASE STUDY: Early retirement goal

Carl never considered himself to be a savvy investor, but after a friend recommended he seek advice from Patrick Leo, he now maintains an impressive portfolio and is on his way to early retirement. 

Aged in his thirties and already a home owner, Carl looked to secure his financial situation and better his future. After consulting Patrick Leo, Carl realised that investing in property was the right avenue for him. 

“I knew it was time to start being smart with my money, but I wasn’t sure whether to invest in shares, or stocks or something of that nature. After witnessing how well my best friend did working with Patrick Leo and investing in property, I realised that this was the right path for me”. 

Carl has worked with Patrick Leo for just over 18 months and has recently completed construction of a three-bedroom investment property in regional Victoria worth $331,000.

“Patrick Leo didn’t try to coerce me into buying something I couldn’t afford. They let me do my own research and then made recommendations from there. The support and advice the team has given me throughout the entire process is unparalleled to anything I’ve experienced, right from the first meeting, up until the build and finding tenants. I am thrilled with what we have achieved,” says Carl. 

James Nihill of Patrick Leo notes that the needs of clients always come first. 

“It is important to find out exactly what clients are looking for in an investment and what their final goal is and we don’t settle for anything less than that. As a first-time investor, Carl was looking for a stable investment with a consistent uplift in value and a strong rental demand, so a property in regional Victoria was the perfect location for him,” Says James Nihill. 

According to Carl, what he liked most about Patrick Leo was that they are passionate about real estate and not about making commissions, “It’s refreshing to see people doing what they’re doing genuinely because they love their job and love working with people,” Carl says. 

Carl is becoming well aware of the profitable financial position he is now in, owning his own home and having an investment property. Carl plans to seek further advice from Patrick Leo again to further expand his portfolio and pave the way to an early and debt free retirement. 

CASE STUDY: Retiring debt free

New retirees Virginia and Gordon McDonald of Brisbane never thought they would retire completely debt-free and with a portfolio of residential investment properties. Yet they have, as a result of sound professional financial advice, planning and management.

They became first-time property investors only 11 years ago when they consulted James Nihill, now Managing Director of Patrick Leo, for financial advice. The catalyst was the McDonald’s having paid off their own home loan and wanting to secure some form of investment.

“We had basically done nothing for 30 years but put our money into our own mortgage and had simply worked and paid our bills. We wanted to invest but we didn’t have the knowledge or the confidence. James changed all that and now we have a lifestyle we simply had not even imagined before,” said Virginia, a 61-year-old former public sector worker.

The McDonald’s first property investment in 2007 saw them build a three-bedroom house in Pakenham in Victoria for about $300,000.  

“This is something we would not have done without professional advice and the services provided by James. He sourced us the opportunity and managed not only the construction process but also the property management for the last 10 years. We had been nervous about going into debt again, particularly with an interstate investment, but he made the process very simple and we felt comfortable the entire time,” she said.

In 2009, James helped the McDonald’s into their second property investment – a townhouse in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley. 

In 2016, with retirement approaching, the McDonald’s again consulted with Patrick Leo regarding their property investment strategy and have decided to offload the Pakenham house and hold the NSW property.

The couple undertook renovations to update the property before placing it on the market and fetching a tidy profit. Again, Patrick Leo assisted in recommending the renovations needed, overseeing the works and selling the house.

“To put it simply, we would definitely not be in this position had we not sought and implemented professional advice. In 11 years we have gone from nervous first-time investors without a clue to financially comfortable retirees with a lifestyle we have always wanted,” Virginia said.

“We have particularly enjoyed the freedom of being in a financial position to help our son as a guarantor for his property.”

According to James Nihill of Patrick Leo “knowledge is everything” when it comes to property investment.

“It all comes down to the principles of financial modelling and strategy. Many people mistakenly feel they can’t afford the on-going costs of a property investment or fear for what could go wrong with the property or its tenants,” James Nihill said.

“We have gotten clients into investments with out-of-pocket costs of less than $50 per week. It is all do-able and comes down to strategy and what the client is hoping to achieve. Sometimes there are better opportunities in other States or regions clients wouldn’t have even considered,” he said.

What are the secrets to the McDonalds’ investment success? 

  • Seeking professional advice.
  • An investment strategy focused on their retirement goals.
  • Building a portfolio geared for growth in key locations. 

CASE STUDY: Smart annual reviews

Investing in property was the solution for ex-Navy member Stephen Moore, who wanted to secure his financial future and minimise tax on his savings. He also benefited substantially from regular professional reviews of his portfolio.

Stephen took the plunge in 2014 and snapped up two investment properties after receiving advice from Patrick Leo.

“When I was in the Navy I saved a lot of money and I knew I had to do something other than pay tax on the interest so I got professional advice to invest in property. Patrick Leo gave me great advice and showed me how I could acquire two properties in key growth locations. I went from having no investments to having a small portfolio,” said Stephen, a 31-year-old Lead Planner at Serco Defense, a company specialising in providing operational, training, logistical and engineering support services to the defence sector.

Patrick Leo helped him buy a three-bedroom house in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales for $395,000 and a three-bedroom house in Bendigo, Victoria for $307,000. Stephen got into the market at the right time, with house prices in both States rising significantly since his acquisitions.

According to James Nihill of Patrick Leo, “timing is critical” when it comes to property investment; investors need to not only pinpoint future hotspots but also act at the right time. “We were able to get Stephen into some solid growth locations at the right time and in just a few years he has seen strong uplift in the values of both of his properties. The Hunter Valley property increased by $60,000 and Bendigo by $25,000,” James Nihill said.

As a result of the rising market and changing banking landscape, Patrick Leo conducted a review for Stephen and found that refinancing would reap him substantial savings in interest. “In Stephen’s case, refinancing has saved him $6,500 a year in interest alone. This obviously makes a huge difference to his annual budget,” said James Nihill.

“It shows how important it is to constantly review investment property portfolios and mortgages. We encourage investors not to get complacent with loan agreements – the banking world is competitive and continues to evolve with new products and offers. Spending the time to engage a professional to review your portfolio is well worth it and can literally save you thousands of dollars,” he said.

What are the secrets to Stephen’s investment success?

  • Seeking professional advice.
  • An investment strategy focused on his goals.
  • Professional management and review of his portfolio and loans.