Hi, I’m Farai Shepherd Ncube, but most people call me Shep.

I’m breaking convention. This is meant to be an ‘about us’ page but I thought something personal would be much better. After all, our business is about people, and property investing is a very personal thing.

Now, you’re likely here for one of three reasons:

• You’re looking to find great property deals, with excellent returns at a good price
• You’re looking for better and more secure returns from excess cash stuck in a bank
• You’d like to learn about property (sourcing, deal packaging or building a portfolio)

I suppose the real question isn’t what we’re offering or how it works (those details are available elsewhere on the site). No, the real question is ‘have we done what we promise we can do for you?’

 

First things first

Since I was 20 years old I’ve found myself in positions of trust and responsibility. I always used to ask myself why until someone said, “Shep, that is your calling, and you get a buzz from being relied on.”

And they’re right. I do. As a tennis coach in Wavertree, Liverpool, back in 2005, parents trusted me with up to 30 kids at the club.

For the past eleven years, I have worked with well over 100 employees and suppliers – including solicitors – who rely on me daily to make decisions, to honour my promises and to be accountable in my duties as a business owner.

I have a lot of tenants who have relied on me for more than 15 years.

National newspapers like the Sunday Times and Daily Express rely on me for an expert opinion on property stats or key issues like Brexit, and to do it on time for them to meet their publishing deadlines.

The Property Ombudsman has relied on me to review and contribute to the Code of Practice for Residential Property Buying Companies.

And since 2007, individuals have relied upon and trusted me at a very important time in their lives. My other company, Springbok Properties, has done over 14,000 deals, received more than 6,000 independent reviews and won 25 gold awards (beating lots of big name property companies).

When they need someone to sell their house quickly and efficiently, they come to us. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

 

Property experience

(and getting a portfolio that supports my lifestyle)

In 2007, I started building my own personal portfolio of 29 properties in six months. A friend gave me £20,000 upfront to get him five properties.

That started me on the path of my own company to helping others buy investment properties.

I founded the Springbok brand in 2009 but it wasn’t until 2012 when Springbok Properties took off by combining a fast sale estate agency with a cash buying company. Springbok has sold thousands of properties to investors as well as thousands of properties owned by retiring investors.

In 2019, I started interviewing the most successful investors to compile a checklist of what worked. I pored over the details and created a checklist for my team to use so that they can build another property portfolio. As a result, I’ve bought more properties but without having to do any of the work (except for signing mortgage agreements and other legal documents).

And here’s the beauty of it; the portfolio I have now created is considerably more robust than the first one.

My portfolio alone takes care of me and my family, even though our living costs are much higher than they used to be.

To give you some context, I live in Bowdon in Cheshire. My neighbours are Manchester United players, high profile actors and actresses, owners of well-known businesses, and medical professionals that are at the top of their game. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that living here comes with its own pressures, such as having a new car on the drive, taking expensive holidays, and joining local clubs. Believe me, my wife and kids are quick to remind me if they feel left out!

My goal when I started out was to have a property portfolio that can pay for this lifestyle. And it does. Comfortably.

The cars, the holidays, the meals out, gadgets in the house; they’re all paid for by my portfolio. Now, I’m not saying this to impress you, but to impress upon you what is possible with a good solid secure portfolio.

It’s been made possible by having a very specific checklist. If one of the criteria is not met, it won’t be signed off. I have three of my best team members working to ensure that nothing is missed and only properties that fit the criteria pass through to the next stage. Let me tell you, this is a watertight system.

Some of the things on the checklist are personal and suited to my goals, and yours will be too, but the rest are fundamentals that every savvy investor should use.

This brings me to where we are now.

You see, the expert team that I have put together can build your portfolio, in the same way they built mine.

We’re only going to work with a few individuals because I want to keep this team small and maintain a personal level of service, just like I have received.

So I have two options for you today.

1. If you’re cash rich and time poor, check out our ‘hands free’ page.
2. Or, if you’re more hands on and would prefer to do most of the work on your own, join our VIP list to get access to exclusive properties that we source.

Before I close, I have one more thing to say.

In my journey, I have created lifelong relationships with people that I have worked with in all capacities. If we are a good fit, I hope to not only connect with you and work together for years to come, but one day to meet you at my home; the place I host my meetings with inner circle investors. If you’d like to connect and follow me, I’m on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Thank you for your time.

Shep