The Essential Two-Business Model for Growing Your Property Portfolio

Key takeaways

If you’re looking to eventually develop financial freedom by building a substantial property portfolio, it’s crucial to understand the importance of running two distinct "businesses" to ensure you attain your goal of having a significant portfolio.

In my mind, one important element of your strategic property plan is a dual-business strategy that involves one “entity” providing the essential cash flow to keep you in the game and the other focusing on capital growth to eventually get you out of the rat race.

You have to balance capital growth and your borrowing ability to service your debt, but if you are in the growth stage of your investment journey I recommend you buy the best quality, investment grade, high growth property you can afford.

If you’re looking to eventually develop financial freedom by building a substantial property portfolio, it’s crucial to understand the importance of running two distinct "businesses" to ensure you attain your goal of having a significant portfolio.

I’m sure you’ve heard that 92% of property investors never get past their first or second property, and there are many reasons for this, including the fact that they don’t have a strategic plan, or they follow the wrong plan.

In my mind, one important element of your strategic property plan is a dual-business strategy that involves one “entity” providing the essential cash flow to keep you in the game and the other focusing on capital growth to eventually get you out of the rat race.

Let me explain…

1. The Cash Flow “Business”: Your Financial Foundation

The first business in your dual-business strategy is your cash flow business.

This could be your day job, a professional career, or an actual business that generates a steady income stream.

The primary purpose of this “business” is to provide the necessary cash flow to cover your living expenses and service your property debt as you build your property portfolio.

Despite what many people will tell you, residential real estate in Australia is a low-yielding but high-growth investment.

This means it usually doesn’t bring in sufficient cash flow to service the debt you require to leverage your portfolio and definitely won’t provide sufficient cash flow for you to live off (at least not in the early years.)

2. The Capital Growth “Business”: Building Your Wealth

The second business is your property portfolio, which I like to call your capital growth business.

This business is all about acquiring investment grade properties that will appreciate in value over time, turning your portfolio into a wealth-generating cash machine.

The problem is property investment is a long game.

The real magic happens over multiple property cycles, and it can take 20 to 30 years to build a sufficiently large asset base to become the cash machine you desire.

During this time, market appreciation, leveraging and compounding work together to significantly increase the value of your properties.

As property values rise, so does your equity. This increased equity can then be used to acquire more properties, creating a snowball effect that accelerates the growth of your portfolio.

Eventually, your property portfolio will reach a point where it can generate substantial passive income, potentially replacing your need for the cash flow business entirely.

At this stage, your portfolio becomes a significant source of wealth and financial security.

Integrating the Two Businesses

While these two businesses serve different purposes, they are interconnected and support each other.

As I said...cash flow keeps you in the game, capital growth gets you out of the rat race.

The problem is too many beginning investors look for cash flow investments

At first glance, high rental yields seem like a dream come true. Who wouldn't want a property that brings in a hefty rental income every month?

These investors are thinking about the here and now, rather than the long-term, meaning they buy properties that may solve a short-term problem but won’t give them the long-term results they hope for – in general, higher cash flow properties have poorer long-term capital growth which means they don't allow you to grow significant long-term wealth.

And don’t forget that high yielding properties also come with higher tax burdens.

Rental income is taxable, and depending upon your tax bracket significant portal that rental goes straight to the government.

In contrast, capital is not taxable unless you eventually sell your property.

A successful property investment journey works through the following three phases:

1. The capital growth phase – here you build your asset base with investment-grade properties over a number of cycles. This requires significant leverage and requires your cash machine business to support it.
2. Lowering your loan to value ratios – once you have a sufficiently large asset base, you can slowly lower your loan to value ratios.
3. Living off your property portfolio – After all, this is what your long investment journey is all about.

Of course, when you buy an investment property, balance is important.

You have to balance capital growth and your borrowing ability to service your debt, but if you are in the growth stage of your investment journey I recommend you buy the best quality, investment grade, high growth property you can afford.

The Long-Term Vision

As you can see, understanding that building a successful property portfolio is a marathon, not a sprint, is crucial.

Your cash flow business will provide the necessary stability and leverage to get started and sustain you through the ups and downs of the property market.

Over time, your capital growth business will grow in value, thanks to the power of leverage and compounding, eventually becoming a significant source of wealth and financial freedom.

So as you can see, running two separate businesses—a cash flow business and a capital growth business—is essential for any serious property investor.

This dual approach ensures you have the financial foundation to support your property investments while allowing your portfolio to grow and compound over time.

By strategically integrating these businesses, you can build a robust property portfolio that delivers long-term wealth and financial independence.

About Michael Yardney Michael is the founder of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He's once again been voted Australia's leading property investment adviser and one of Australia's 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media.