Before I start, I want to clarify that there is no financial endorsement for this review. The views outlined in this write-up are completely unbiased, honest and based on personal experience at a live event.
On the 17th of February, I attended the Low Money Down event held by Alasdair Cunningham, a prolific property trainer with years of experience in the industry. The event was held in Nottingham and is part of the Property Accelerator Package.
The two days cover lead generation and management of low-money-down strategies, like property sourcing, lease options, rent-to-rent and delayed completion.
Here are my honest thoughts on the two-day event, and whether or not I think it is worth your investment.
Getting the Assumptions Out of The Way
I have heard great things about Alasdair from multiple different sources. It’s one of the reasons we picked him for the front cover of our January/February issue. While chatting with Alasdair about his feature over a curry in Leeds, he invited me to his events to try them for myself. He believes in giving evidence, and he wanted to show Blue Bricks just how good he really is.
As someone who has attended training events in the past, I had some preconceived ideas of what to expect. It was almost like a Bingo list. It seems obligatory in this industry that the following must happen when you pay a trainer:
- You receive half the training, being upsold onto a “2.0” course.
- You’re pressure sold into a ridiculously discounted offer, usually one that ends in 97.
- The advice is impractical and relies more on getting you excited than showing you how to get results.
Alasdair took every misconception I had and blew them out of the park within the first few hours. How? Because he actually spoke about these things himself.
He even showed us his marketing funnel and explained that there were no 2.0 courses! Everyone in the room got exactly what they paid for. Before he mentioned any additional training, he forewarned the audience and told them they could go grab a drink if they wanted to rather than hear his pitch. He never hard sold, only explained what was on the table
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Finally, all advice given at this event was practical, factful and very real, which is what I’ll touch on next.
Refreshing advice
This event comes with online training. I didn’t partake in this myself, so I can’t comment on it. However, from what I heard from various sources at the event, it’s extremely in-depth.
The online content focuses on the admin side of things, like compliance. The event focuses on practical advice, like lead generation.
As someone with a background in marketing, I’m often frustrated by advice that surrounds the industry. Many of the methods used to find off-market leads are outdated, and often do more harm to your brand than good. So, when Alasdair pointed towards more modern methods, like Google ads, I was pleasantly surprised.
One of the main parts of the event included Alasdair setting up a marketing campaign live on the projector. This included a landing page, which was then linked to Google adverts. He set it all up before our very eyes, and it took around an hour. After demonstrating how cost-effective it was, he ran the ad.
As I said earlier, Alasdair is a big believer in proof. So, the next day, he even shared the results of the campaign with us (a total of 48 leads in 24 hours).
But…he’d made a mistake. He ran the campaign across Europe rather than the UK. How do I know this? Because he told us! He even explained that these 48 leads might be worthless, or they might be golden. It was refreshing honesty.
Another tactic used for marketing was to reach out to companies via certain property portals. This, again, was done live on the screen in front, followed by live calls to landlords who replied as a result of this. Everything was demonstrated, and it all worked.
Mindset is Everything
Mindset is important, but it is often too much of a selling point. Many people pay for pragmatic training, like how to invest in property, and end up with a course that teaches them about the importance of affirmation. Practical advice around facing your fears and overcoming mental blocks has somehow gotten mixed with meditating at six in the morning.
A large part of Alasdair’s event was based on mindset, but not the fluffy part. It was based on real things, like facing your demons and acknowledging that you are your own worst enemy. I can’t spoil what happens, but a part of the event covers “acting in spite of fear”.
What I will say is that the activity we undertook left most people drained of colour when it was mentioned. However, the fear soon subsided, and after it was finished, the atmosphere was like that of England scoring during the world cup! The energy was unbelievable.
Thoughts on Alasdair
Alasdair isn’t scared of offending people with the truth. Everything he says is clear-cut and to the point. He never advertises property as being something easy. He actively says that it takes time and effort if you want to succeed.
If I had to sum him up in one word, I’d say “refreshing”. Why? Because it’s refreshing to see the standard tropes of property training broken.
But one thing that really struck me about Alasdair was how much he cared. He knew the name of every person in the room. He became visibly emotional when one of his students told a success story. He spoke to people during the break and offered free help to anyone who was struggling or had a big decision to make in his life.
I could see that Alasdair is passionate about what he does and is more driven towards getting people results than taking their money. He’s trustworthy, brutally honest, hilarious, and this event made me proud to be working with him.
Who is This Right for, and Would I Recommend It?
Honestly, I think even experienced investors could pick up a few golden nuggets from this event. It was one of the first events I have attended where most of the people I spoke to have a portfolio already. Even people already investing in low-money-down strategies were amazed by the information.
If you are wanting to get involved in property with little time and not too much money, then this event will help you get started. If you have a few properties in your portfolio and are struggling with lead generation, then I also think this event will seriously help your business.
Would I recommend this training? Yes. Here is why:
- It’s practical- All the advice given is backed up by evidence. Anyone can act upon it, regardless of age, income or experience. It’s not hollow advice like “find an investor” or “ask your family for money”.
- The atmosphere is unbelievable- I have a very short attention span. Yet, the atmosphere at this event meant Alasdair kept my attention for two days straight. It’s not boring classroom learning, it’s like a cross between Wembley and a university degree!
- Open and honest- The speakers outright said that you can’t jump straight in with no money and no experience. They shared everything and hid nothing, even telling the audience that they might have to send 100 messages a week for six months if they want to see results.
See for Yourself
If you want a taster session, then Alasdair runs a free day event. It also doubles up as a networking opportunity, as you’ll meet 50 other people who are either involved in property or looking to get started. The day will give you a feel for Alasdair’s training style, and it’s a good way to get involved for no financial cost.
If you’re interested in learning more, then click here and book your space.
Article written and uploaded by Sam Cooke, Editor of Blue Bricks Magazine