Simon Read is the Founder and Director of Worth Property Investing, a renowned investor, author and entrepreneur that created real wealth by successfully building a “dreams are made of this” real estate portfolio. He is a Licensed Real Estate Agent, accredited Auctioneer, and holds a Diploma of Finance and Mortgage Broking Management.
Living by the belief that a second income is the key to true financial freedom, he acquired a $3.1 million property portfolio by the age of 30 and was awarded the NSW Business Chamber Start Up Superstar Award in 2017. Now in his early 40ies, Simon has purchased his dream home and scaled back his work to enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle while spending more quality time with his family.
Having been involved in property investing since 2000, Simon has managed hundreds of real estate transactions on behalf of his buyers and has been featured in the Australian Property Investor magazine, amongst other investment publications.
For more details, visit their website here.
Here we sit down with Simon, to know a bit more about his journey as an entrepreneur.
Q. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Simon: Turning my personal passion and experience for property investing into my career, where I could help others who don’t know where to start when it comes to real estate!
There are too many sharks in the industry that are there to make a quick dollar at the expense of real estate buyers.
Q. How did you get started?
Simon: Prior to launching my own business, I had been working in a Senior Leadership Engineering role for an international company for over 16 years.
I started to hear frequently about negative stories of people being taken advantage of by ‘off the plan’ property sprukers, people overpaying for real estate and/or purchasing properties in the wrong locations and they lost money and confidence. I felt there was an ethical gap in the market for professional Buyer’s Advocates. Through listening and reading about these sad stories, it inspired me to want to support and protect people from making bad property investment decisions.
Q. What was your biggest startup challenge? What steps did you take to overcome it? What did you learn?
Simon: The biggest start up challenge was knowing how to articulate to customers my point of difference and value! Buyers Agents were thought to be only for the wealthy but really we have the most impact helping the everyday property buyer. To overcome this initial challenge, I understood the importance and need to demonstrate my knowledge and expertise through writing e-books and blogs/articles. I also developed written material about my proven five-step growth method and top 10 investment rules.
By taking these steps, I found that people were able to understand the importance of having the right professionals by their side- to save time, stress and money.
Q. What is the Most Memorable Thing You’ve Done Since you Started your Business?
Simon: Becoming an author of “Real World – Real Estate” is a massive achievement, this book took two years to write and I hope the book will give people the tools and skill set to make more informed real estate decisions that will ultimately set them up financially, so they can get their time back and relax knowing they have a passive income for life.
Also, another memorable thing since starting my business would be winning the Business Chamber Start Up Superstar Award in 2017, and relocating to Queensland during COVID-19 with my family to enjoy a better lifestyle!
Q. What is one book you recommend, and why?
Simon: Real World – Real Estate
“How to invest in property and live life on your terms”
Why… I wrote this book to share my knowledge about real estate investing to help people make more informed decision and to ultimately grow their wealth.
This book is with our publisher and will be printed and ready for sale this year!
Q. What are your top 3 favourite online apps, tools, or resources and what do you love about them?
Simon: Xero for accounting, easy to use and saves time, CoreLogic (RP Data) for property data – trust and reliable up-to-date data
Q. In terms of legacy, what is the mark you’d like to leave on the world?
Simon: To help everyday people to build wealth through real estate so they can choose the lifestyle they want and retire on their own terms!
Many people have a desire to get themselves ahead but they need some support and guidance on their wealth building journey.
Q. In one sentence, what’s the best advice you’d give to someone just starting out on their entrepreneurial journey?
Simon: Surround yourself with likeminded business experts and don’t hesitate to ask for their support and guidance, if you don’t have these professionals on hand, seek out an expert business coach.
Lastly, I would encourage you to join a local Business Network as running a small business can be a lonely journey and often it is helpful to brainstorm and share your challenges.
To keep up to date with Simon and his journey, connect with him on Facebook and Instagram.
