Meet the founders of the National Landlord Investment Show

Meet the founders of the National Landlord Investment Show – Q&A with Tracey and Steve Hanbury

As the National Landlord Investment Show prepares to celebrate its fifth anniversary at Aston Villa Football Club on Wednesday May 16th, it’s time to meet the people behind the shows to find out what makes them tick.

The Midlands event taking place on May 16th marks five years to the day that the first National Landlord Investment Show took place in Croydon, South London in 2013.

Ahead of the fifth birthday celebrations and another jam-packed show, Tracey and Steve Hanbury, directors of the ‎National Landlord Investment Show and Landlord Investor Magazine, tell us all about how the shows started, their long-term involvement in the property market and provide some useful advice for landlords…

Q: What’s your background and why did you decide to launch the National Landlord Investment Show?

Tracey: “I started my career in advertising back in 1997 and worked for Trinity Newspaper Group. I then went on to work for a publishing company and sold portfolio advertising solutions across magazines such as OK! and Sainsbury’s.”

“I then landed a job as an international sales executive for an American company and travelled all over the world, working on a portfolio of magazines and trade exhibitions across the telecoms sector.”

“Steve and I meet at a marketing company back in 2002 and so the journey began…”

Steve: “I worked for a marketing and telecoms company heading up sales. I then went on to work for Countrywide as an estate agent. In 2011, I went into property full-time with my Dad and then Tracey and I launched the shows in 2013.”

Tracey: “We started the National Landlord Investment Show as a regional show after seeing a huge gap in the market where we could offer landlords a great event that would help them grow and retain their portfolios.”

“We chose buy-to-let hotspots throughout the UK and then set up the shows in these locations. We looked at our own experience of being fairly new into the market place and thought it would be a great idea to provide a platform where new and seasoned landlords could attend a one-day event in their area, providing them with the opportunity to meet with leading suppliers and attend seminars to gain valuable information.”

Steve: “Since then, we have grown into a national company, running our events in major cities. This includes three events per year at London Olympia, each attracting over 4,000 UK portfolio landlords. We also take our events to Manchester, Cardiff, Liverpool and still run some regional shows.

Q: Have you always been interested in the property market?

Steve: “I have been brought up around property my whole life. My dad, Les Hanbury, has been a landlord for over 40 years. I spent a lot of time going to properties with my dad, helping him strip them out and getting them ready for rental. We attended many auctions and I got the buzz for property at a young age.”

Q: How has the market changed since you started the National Landlord Investment Show?

Tracey: “We launched the shows in May 2013 and we have seen a huge amount of change during this time, most notably increased government intervention in the rental sector.”

“Some of the biggest changes that have occurred while we have been running the shows are the introduction of the Right to Rent scheme, the 3% stamp duty surcharge on additional properties and the gradual phasing out of buy-to-let mortgage interest tax relief.”

Steve: “It’s industry changes like these that make the shows even more important. Landlords need somewhere to go to gain advice, keep updated about what’s going on and speak to other landlords in a similar position.”

Q: Are you landlords? What type of properties do you own?

Tracey: “We are landlords and this part of the business we run with Steve’s dad, Les. We purchased our first House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in East Croydon back in 2004.”

Steve: “As a family portfolio, our properties range from three to four-bedroom properties which are let to the private sector and we also let out through various council schemes in areas such as Bromley, Croydon, Lewisham and Sutton.”

Tracey: “We have also ventured into the Build to Rent market and this is headed up by our brother-in-law, who is currently in the final stages of a five four-bedroom house development in Kent.”

Q: What is the best thing about being a landlord?

Tracey: “Hopefully building a bright future for our families and providing good property for our tenants.”

Q: What is your one piece of advice for landlords starting out?

Steve: “Make sure you do your due diligence. Check everything like transport links and local schools. Is the area a good regeneration area that will be more profitable in the future? Seek professional advice, attend events like ours where you can meet with reputable suppliers and attend invaluable seminars.”

Q: Birmingham is fast becoming a buy-to-let hotspot. What opportunities does it offer investors?

Tracey: “Birmingham has quietly been becoming one of the UK’s best investor hotspots in recent years. This is down to a number of factors, including huge regeneration, affordable property prices, growing employment opportunities and ever-increasing rental demand.”

“Ahead of the show, we’ve taken a closer look at Birmingham and what it has to offer in our article ‘Here’s why Birmingham has become a buy-to-let hotspot’.”

Q: What is the most challenging part of your day-to-day job?

Tracey: “Steve and I have organised 56 events since our launch in 2013 and also launched this magazine back in 2014. Working in events and publishing is not for the faint-hearted and we have to make sure that we are super organised. Our day-to-day can involve client meetings, marketing schedules, sales meetings and much more!”

Steve: “As event organisers, it is our job to ensure that we have the correct type of exhibitors at our events, engaging speakers and also attract an audience of UK portfolio landlords. Our daily schedule is jam-packed and with two boys aged 14 and 11, you can imagine there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done! That being said, we absolutely love what we do and would not change it for the world.”

Q: What can landlords learn from attending the National Landlord Investment Show?

Tracey: “The shows are all about getting out there and seeing what is going on in the industry. Things change so quickly that it’s vital for landlords to stay one step ahead.”

Steve: “We aim to put on a varied programme which includes exhibitors, seminars and expert advice to cater to all needs. We’ve also found that it can be difficult for landlords to interact with each other, learn from one another’s mistakes and make friends with people in a similar situation. The National Landlord Investment provides the platform for this and we look forward to the next five years of shows across the country.”

For more information, visit: https://www.landlordinvestmentshow.co.uk/midlandsshow

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