Your Property Investment Team: Who Does What?
Build your property investment team with clear roles for the broker, solicitor, surveyor, accountant, letting agent and sourcer. Includes a handover map.
Read article →Property investment blog / About the author
Meet the author
Mark Parham
Property investor. Business owner. Author and speaker.
I bought my first property in 2010. Since then, I have bought, refinanced and improved properties while running businesses alongside my investments.
BTL Reality is where I share the experience behind those decisions: the numbers I look at, the questions I ask and the lessons that are useful when things do not go to plan.
Founder of BTL Reality · Author of The Game Of Money
The practical background
Experience from owning property.
My first purchase was a house in London in 2010. Renting spare rooms was part of my starting point. Later came a family home in Didcot and refinancing earlier properties to help fund further investment.
That experience shapes what I write about: buying at the right price, understanding the mortgage, deciding which refurbishment work is worthwhile and leaving enough room for costs that do not arrive neatly each month.
I have shared the reasoning behind individual deals, including properties in Rugby and Kettering, and the trade-offs between houses and flats. The useful part is understanding why a decision made sense in its circumstances.
Running businesses alongside a property portfolio has also taught me about debt, reserves and resilience. I discuss the difficult periods as well as the progress, because both belong in an honest account of investing.
2010
My first purchase
A London house and an early approach that included renting spare rooms.
2015
A home in Didcot
Around this time, a family-home purchase became the next part of my property journey.
2017
Refinancing to invest
Releasing equity from earlier properties helped fund the next stage of investment.
Explore the detail in my first purchase and refinancing story and the Rugby and Kettering case studies.
On stage
Sharing experience in the room.
I have spoken on stage at events with audiences of up to 2,000 people. Speaking gives me another way to share my experience and bring the decisions behind property and business into a conversation.
For speaking, interviews or media enquiries, contact info@btlreality.co.uk.
Speaking experience
2,000
People in the audience at the largest events I have spoken at.
Property, business and the lessons from putting ideas into practice.
Watch & read
More ways to get to know my approach.
Property on YouTube
My videos explore property decisions, deal numbers and the lessons from my own experience. Start with the story of how I used refinancing to build my portfolio, then follow the channel from the video.
Watch my property story on YouTube ↗The book
The Game
Of Money
Of Money
By Mark Parham
Alongside my videos and articles, I am the author of The Game Of Money.
Writing gives me space to share my thinking beyond a short video or a conversation on stage.
Book informationThe dedicated book page is coming soon.
What I write about
The decisions behind the investment.
My articles cover getting started, checking a buy-to-let deal, understanding rental cashflow, refinancing and managing a growing portfolio. I use worked examples and practical tools to make the assumptions visible, so you can see what changes the answer.
Personal experience, illustrative calculations and current rules each have a different role. Historical results are not a promise of future returns. Where a decision needs mortgage, tax or legal advice, speak to an appropriately qualified professional.
For hands-on examples, explore the free property calculators and resources.
From the blog
Latest articles by Mark
Should I Buy a Rental Property Without Viewing It Myself?
Buying a rental remotely? Use our evidence checklist to assess video viewings, surveys, local rent checks and the numbers before making a commitment.
Read article →Is Buy-to-Let Passive Income? What Landlords Actually Do
See what a letting agent can handle, what stays with the owner and how management fees affect the numbers. Includes an interactive cost-of-delegation tool.
Read article →Can I Get a Buy-to-Let Mortgage If I Am Self-Employed?
Understand the evidence self-employed buy-to-let applicants may need. Separate turnover, profit and usable cash, then prepare a stronger broker discussion.
Read article →Consent to Let or Buy-to-Let Mortgage: Which Do I Need?
Letting your former home? Compare consent to let with a buy-to-let mortgage, check permissions and model two finance options before committing.
Read article →From Property Videos to Your First Practical Step
Turn property videos into a useful next step. Choose a question, use a free calculator and build an evidence-based task before making a decision.
Read article →Do I Need a Survey If the Mortgage Lender Has Valued the Property?
A mortgage valuation protects the lender. Compare it with a buyer survey, identify gaps and build a practical inspection plan before buying a rental.
Read article →Buying a Tenanted Property: What to Check Before Exchange
Check the tenancy, rent records, deposit, condition and mortgage before buying a tenanted property. Includes a document checklist and current-rent calculator.
Read article →Can I Get a Buy-to-Let Mortgage Without a Salary?
No salary does not always rule out a buy-to-let mortgage. Learn what lenders may check and test your cash reserves with our interactive planner.
Read article →How Do I Manage a UK Rental Property From Abroad?
Build a reliable remote-landlord setup with clear agent duties, repair approvals, records and reserves. Check performance without managing every small task.
Read article →