The Scottish Property Podcast

A complicated miscarriage. A goodbye in a hospital room. Two years of everything going wrong. Then they bought their first property — Claire eight months pregnant, the world in lockdown. 🏠In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Claire and Dan MacDonald of Cladan Property — a husband and wife team who started investing in 2020 with no strategy and a sold car, and have quietly built a portfolio of 24 properties in five years.This one isn't about overnight success. It's about a slow, steady, intentional approach — two young kids, a teaching job, a brand new mortgage advisory business, and a portfolio that's just gone through its biggest and most challenging growth phase yet.🕐 TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Welcome to Claire and Dan02:02 – Growing up in the Highlands & how they met06:39 – The honeymoon that sparked the business idea07:54 – One-day property events & the financial advisor who said don't bother14:05 – Claire's teaching career & the stress behind it17:59 – The difficult years: loss of Dan's mum24:26 – The complicated miscarriage & why it changed everything00:20 – Claire starts investing eight months pregnant in lockdown19:06 – First deal: analysis paralysis & what pushed them through19:14 – Analysis paralysis & the first purchase21:23 – Releasing equity to fund deals three and four22:07 – Selling the car to fund the second property32:13 – Working with Jillian and Darren Green — mindset & clarity33:36 – The vision: cash flow number, lifestyle goals & what they're building toward34:36 – Dan's civil engineering background & the move into property39:11 – The pivot to short-term lets & the Highland cottage41:04 – The cottage flat STL in Cardonald41:14 – 8 months to get the STL licence — what they learned43:26 – Winter cash flow struggles & the unpredictability of STL43:40 – The Joseph Todd liquidation post & what it meant for the market49:25 – Speaking at the April networking event — how it led to two portfolio deals49:31 – Direct to vendor: the portfolio acquisitions that changed everything53:31 – Tenanted portfolio — when the cracks started appearing55:59 – Butting heads as a couple & how they're working through it1:00:56 – Dan's mortgage advisory business & where to find them🔑 KEY TOPICS✅ Starting a property portfolio with savings, a sold car & family equity✅ The real challenges of buying a tenanted portfolio — what nobody talks about✅ ADS savings through portfolio deals of 6+ properties✅ Short-term lets: the cash flow highs, the winter lows & the licensing uncertainty✅ How speaking at a networking event led to two direct-to-vendor portfolio deals✅ Balancing a marriage, young kids, teaching and a growing property business✅ When to pay someone to project manage a refurb (and when their fee pays for itself)✅ Why Claire and Dan prefer quality and cash flow over chasing numbers📲 CONNECT WITH CLAIRE & DANInstagram: @cladanpropertyMortgage enquiries: reach out via Dan's Instagram📅 NETWORKING EVENTSFirst Wednesday of every month📍 Aberdeen | Dundee | Edinburgh | GlasgowFollow our socials for speakers and details🤝 SPONSORED BYPrime Property Auctions — know someone selling a property? You could earn £1,500 just for making an introduction. John and Lewis handle everything from the first call to the sale. Over £350,000 in referral fees paid out so far.👉 https://primepropertyauctions.co.uk/🎙️ ABOUT SCOTTISH PROPERTY PODCASTReal conversations with real Scottish property investors. No fluff — just honest stories, market updates, and investor journeys.🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode👍 Like if you found this valuable💬 Are you investing as a couple? Drop your experience in the comments 👇

In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Scott Miller, founder of Miller Estate Agents, for a no-holds-barred conversation about the reality of the estate agency industry, how it’s changing, and what sellers and buyers should actually be paying attention to.Scott shares his journey from dropping out of university, to cutting his teeth in a corporate agency environment, becoming a top performer at Purplebricks, and eventually walking away from six-figure earnings to launch his own independent agency built around trust, service, and transparency.This episode pulls back the curtain on the parts of estate agency most people never see — from upsells and awards, to commission pressure, portals, and the growing role of AI.Scott explains how he entered the industry after leaving university, starting out at a family law firm–linked estate agency.Over four years, he learned prospecting, valuations, and negotiation in a highly corporate environment — gaining volume experience but also seeing the limitations of the model.🎙️ Episode Highlights:🚪 Breaking Into Estate AgencyJoining Purplebricks in 2017, Scott arrived during its peak as a major industry disruptor.At just 27 years old, he was earning over £130,000 per year, handling extreme volume:70–80 valuations per month50–60 live salesSupported by a wider teamHowever, the business model shifted — moving from a self-employed, high-reward structure to a salaried employed model with reduced earning potential, prompting Scott to reassess his future.🚀 The Purplebricks YearsScott made the leap to start Miller Estate Agents on just two weeks’ notice.His approach was intentionally different:A personal agency modelOnly 6–10 clients per monthDirect contact with Scott from valuation to completion🏗️ Launching Miller Estate AgentsThe goal was simple: deliver a better service by avoiding volume overload.Scott lifts the lid on industry practices many sellers aren’t aware of:Some corporate firms make more profit from mortgage referrals than from selling homesThis can create conflicts of interest when advising buyers and sellersCommission pressure can lead to overpricing just to win instructions⚠️ The Shadier Side of Corporate Estate AgencyScott is openly critical of industry awards where agents must pay thousands for tables and sponsorship to “win”.He describes them as:Misleading marketingA racket that doesn’t reflect real service qualityDesigned to impress consumers who don’t know how they workScott argues the industry needs stronger regulation:To stop underqualified people entering estate agencyTo prevent agents racing to the bottom on feesTo protect consumers from poor advice and service🤖 The Future of Property & AILooking ahead, Scott discusses how AI could reshape property search, potentially allowing buyers to search across all agent websites using detailed criteria — reducing reliance on portals like Rightmove.That said, he’s clear: agents still need to be where the buyers are, and for now, that means the major portals — with social media acting as a powerful supporting tool, not a replacement.

In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven are joined by John and Luis from Prime Property Auctions to break down how their business has scaled rapidly, why auctions are becoming the go-to exit strategy for many landlords, and what really drives seller decisions in today’s market.They reflect on a standout year for the business, discuss the realities behind auction volumes and growth, and lift the lid on the marketing, sales psychology, and lead-tracking systems that underpin their success. This episode offers a practical, behind-the-scenes look at how a modern auction house operates — and how investors can plug into it.🎙️ Episode Highlights:📈 2025 Performance & Business GrowthJohn and Luis recap a strong year for Prime Property Auctions, with the business doubling in size and revenue compared to 2024.While monthly sales volumes naturally fluctuated, they achieved a record 38 completed sales in a single month, highlighting both demand and operational capacity.📺 Why Prime Property Auctions Went Big on MarketingA major theme of the episode is their deliberately aggressive marketing strategy.The team explains why they invested in STV television advertising, alongside Facebook and online ads, to build brand credibility and trust with sellers at scale — particularly landlords who may not respond to traditional investor outreach.📊 Tracking Leads From First Click to SaleJohn and Luis outline how they use QR codes, attribution tools, and tracking software such as Hyros to understand exactly where leads originate.This allows them to confidently measure ROI across TV and digital channels and double down on what actually converts into completed sales.🧠 Founder-Led Trust & the Power of Personal BrandLuis explains that as AI and automation level the playing field, service delivery alone is no longer enough.People want to deal with real people they trust, especially when selling a property under pressure — making personal brand and visibility increasingly important.📞 Sales Psychology: Speed Beats NegotiationThe team stress that conversion isn’t about haggling on price — it’s about solving the seller’s problem.Speed is critical: Prime Property Auctions aim to contact new leads within one minute, dramatically increasing conversion rates.🧲 Lead Generation for Investors With Time, Not MoneyJohn shares a practical tactic for beginners.A low-cost way to learn the market and generate income.

In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Kyle Black returns one year after his last appearance to share what has been a transformational 12 months for his property business, BLK. Kyle breaks down how he scaled rapidly, built an integrated “one-stop shop” model for investors, and why accountability, transparency, and long-term relationships sit at the core of everything he does.This episode is a deep dive into real portfolio growth, business structure, and what it actually takes to scale sustainably in today’s market.🚀 Rapid Portfolio Growth in Just 12 Months-Kyle reveals that he and his business partner, Mark, acquired 21 properties in a single year, taking their total portfolio to 29 units.-Major acquisitions include a £2.2 million HMO portfolio in Glasgow’s West End and a block of nine flats in Helensburgh.-Kyle explains the operational challenges that come with scaling at speed and why systems become non-negotiable.🏢 Building BLK as a One-Stop Shop for Investors-BLK has evolved from a sourcing business into a fully integrated group offering property sourcing, lettings, and a traditional estate agency.-The aim is to support investors end-to-end — from acquisition to management to refinance.-Kyle also shares plans to eventually add a mortgage brokerage to complete the full investor journey.🔁 Focusing on Long-Term Investor Relationships-Rather than selling one-off deals, BLK works with investors looking to scale large portfolios.-Kyle explains how sourcing, letting, and refinancing under one brand creates alignment and long-term trust.-This approach allows BLK to grow alongside its clients.📋 Accountability Through Lettings-Launching a letting agency was a deliberate move to increase accountability.-By managing the properties he sources, Kyle ensures that rental figures and valuations quoted upfront are realistic and achievable.-This removes the temptation to oversell deals just to win business.🤝 Clear Roles Within the Business Partnership-Kyle positions himself as the face of the brand and lead generator, focusing on relationships and growth.-His partner, Mark — an accountant by trade — handles the financial modelling, numbers, and operational detail.-The clarity of roles has been key to scaling efficiently.🏠 Innovative Staging Partnership-Kyle recently partnered with Ellie Black to offer a flexible staging solution for developers.-Staging and estate agency fees can be deferred until the property sells, easing cash flow during refurbishments.-The goal is to maximise sale prices without increasing upfront pressure.🤖 AI, Technology & the Future of Property-Kyle discusses the role of AI in modern property businesses, including AI receptionists to handle high volumes of tenant calls.-He also touches on virtual staging tools like “nano banana”, while explaining why physical staging still wins during viewings.🔍 Radical Transparency in Property Management-BLK’s letting agency operates with full transparency, using an online maintenance portal.-Landlords can view videos of reported issues and see actual contractor invoices, not estimates.-Kyle believes transparency is essential for trust at scale.🧠 Modest Living & Reinvesting for Growth-Despite rapid success, Kyle avoids lifestyle inflation.-He continues to live in a one-bedroom flat, reinvesting profits back into the business.-Luxury cars and flashy offices are avoided in favour of sustainable, long-term growth.