61 – The value in developing iconic buildings

Shane Wilkinson from Pace Development Group on the Property Developer Podcast

Would you like to go from a simple suburban duplex to iconic building developer? Making thousands of mistakes along the way but persisting and breaking through the ‘development ceiling’?

Shane Wilkinson is the founder and managing director of Melbourne’s Pace Development Group. He has been developing property since he was 19, and has so far done more than 100 projects.

Over 21 years, Pace has delivered more than 2,000 homes and more than $2 billion dollars’ worth of real estate, including one of Melbourne’s most recognisable buildings, the Icon overlooking St Kilda Junction.

“I’ve made thousands of mistakes over the years. Thousands!” Shane Wilkinson

The company has four projects currently under construction, three settling later this year and a further 1,758 apartments in its pipeline.

The Icon at St Kilda Junction developed by Pace Development Group

It’s a long way from Shane’s humble beginnings doing a simple duplex project in suburban Melbourne.

We have a great conversation covering a host of topics including what Shane has learnt along the way, the biggest pickle he has found himself in and the one thing you need to focus on if you want to succeed in property developing. Also keep an ear out for Shane’s advice for how to deal with problems.

This is a broad discussion which I’m sure you will enjoy.

Property Development Training

If you are interested in learning the fundamentals of property development, in your own time and at your own pace, then be sure to head over to www.propertydevelopertraining.com and take a look. I take you step by step through the development process so you know exactly what is needed to find a site, run a feasibility and complete a small scale property development, be that a duplex or 3 or 4 unit site. The training includes a bonus program called Taking It To The Next Level for people who may want to go into developing full-time, along with another bonus course called Raising Capital which covers how to raise money for your projects.

So head over to propertydevelopertraining.com and take a look… I would love to see you on the inside…

Property Developer Quiz

Keen to find out how ready you might be to become a developer? Then take the Property Developer Quiz (https://www.propertydevelopertraining.com/quiz) and get a sense of where you are at…

Become a Million Dollar Property Developer

Book: Become a million dollar property developerGrab my book Become a Million Dollar Property Developer about my journey into property development. This book is ideal for anyone who intends to get into small-scale property development and wants an insider’s guide to successfully obtaining wealth, fulfilment, and glory.

In this book, Justin will share how he succeeded in delivering a 20-townhouse project on his first property development project and what he learned along the way.

Many people have a dream of becoming a property developer. They aspire to build properties, grow portfolios, and amass great wealth. However, many people often struggle with making the leap into property development.

This book has the answers for how you can make the leap into property development. Grab your copy now.

Social Connection

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Lessons for real estate developers

This is another cracking conversation with a guy who has gone all in on his developing career. Here’s a couple of things I took out of that chat:

1. If you really want to succeed as a property developer you need to go all in

Shane made it clear that he has gone all in with his developing, and in his view that is what you need to do if you really want to succeed. He has slowly built up the business from humble beginnings and has broken the ceiling that he spoke about, and now his company has the balance sheet to take on big projects. So how much are you prepared to go all in?

2. Deal with problems straight away

I like how Shane was really clear that the best way to deal with problems is to tackle them straight away. Don’t let them fester or get out of control. Deal with them early and move on. Simple but powerful advice.

3. Learn from your mistakes and keep going

Shane mentioned that he has made thousands of mistakes over the years, but he has picked himself up, dusted himself off, learnt from it and kept going. I agree that perseverance is a key trait if you plan on sticking around long term in the developing game. I think the secret is not to make the same mistake twice and not let the stumbles keep you down. What’s the biggest mistake you have made in your career so far? Let me know by leaving a comment on the page of this episode, number 61, over at propertydeveloperpodcast.com

Alright, if you enjoyed that conversation with Shane Wilkinson then you should jump into the past episodes of the show and take a listen to my chat with developer Danny Ciarma in episode 30. One of my favorite conversations so far… Danny has delivered some beautiful apartment projects and shares some of his lessons, including this gem about ensuring that you buy the right site. There is so much bullion in that discussion that it is definitely worth going back and taking a listen to episode 30 at www.propertydeveloperpodcast.com.

Remember to contact me if you are interested in learning how to develop property safely and profitably, email justin@propertydeveloperpodcast.com for some info

Don’t forget to catch me on Insta [https://www.instagram.com/property_developer_podcast/] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/propertydeveloperpodcast] for all my latest project pics and videos, industry news and other fun stuff. You can also post a comment on iTunes if you are enjoying the show, and of course all the past episodes can be found at www.propertydeveloperpodcast.com

So, until next time may some of your projects become city icons.

LINKS

Pace Development Group – https://pacedg.com.au