In this episode of Inside Property Development, Paul expands on the ins and outs of land trading. Including how to source off-market opportunities, add planning value, and decide when to sell or build. To help him do this, Paul shares the details of a recent experience he had of selling a small, fully de-risked site on LinkedIn.

This episode highlights the changing property landscape, the vital role of land traders, and provides advice for SME developers who are navigating today’s complex planning and building environment.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Prioritise finding off-market land opportunities and securing optimal planning permission yourself to maximise profits and reduce risk. It is not wise to rely solely on buying sites with planning already in place.


• Mastering the skills of land trading and planning adds value not just to your own projects but also helps to fill a critical gap. As planning systems become more complex and intimidating for newcomers the UK needs more people to learn how to land trade.


• Be adaptable in your sales approach; for smaller or unique projects, public promotion (like on LinkedIn) can connect you with the right buyers. Solely, relying on private networks is not always the right approach.


• Investing in education, mentorship, and knowledge sharing within the industry not only supports your own growth but helps sustain and grow the wider SME property development community.

BEST MOMENTS

“There's no point people complaining about land traders - if the system was simple and easy as it should be, there wouldn't be any demand or need or market for land traders.”

“If you are a house builder or a developer … you have absolutely got to be de-risking things to start with.”

“I can get the planning, so I'm literally creating opportunities for people to build out that wouldn't otherwise exist.”

ABOUT THE HOST 

Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years; experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.

Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder,

Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group.

In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! 

Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University.

CONTACT METHOD

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs

Millbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficial

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/