The property sector attracts a fair few chancers based on the all too frequent allegations of foul play and fraud that are regularly aired on some social media platforms. Dodgy deals that turn out to be more hype than substance, alongside the frequent tales of woe aired by joint venture partners who belatedly realise that they should have done more research into a developer’s background expertise before signing a contract to fund a project.

One particular group has for many years been seen by a few vociferous critics as literally being like ‘the spawn of the devil’. I am referring to those who are defined as being property educators and mentors. In the 20 years we have published this magazine we have seen many individuals and organisations come and then go, often leaving their mentees and seminar attendees frustrated and in some cases feeling ‘duped’ or even worse.

There are of course a small number of organisations, such as the property investors network (pin) and a few others who have in the main, stood the test of time and have produced many hundreds of satisfied customers over the years. And yet as mentioned already, the sector is still seen as being like a ‘wild west’ and all too frequently the evidence confirms that there are some ‘snake oil salesmen’ still out there ready to fleece the unwary.

Acknowledging the above I was pleased to hear some four years ago that the Property Investors Bureau was being founded by Cyril Thomas, founder of the Property Investors Awards. Despite the pandemic seriously interrupting matters it seems that the organisation has been growing in influence and membership numbers. I recently met with Cyril once again to learn about the progress that PIB has made but also to hear about some overdue recognition that they were on the right track to achieve their core aims.

“In recent years property investors and private landlords have been demonised, unfairly targeted, and left to fend for themselves,” said Cyril. “The property investment terrain is constantly changing and it has become tougher for property investors to structure profitable deals. Legislation and funding is increasingly becoming more complex. Deciding who the reputable property educators are can also be difficult as there are currently no widely adopted standards to assist property investors in differentiating one educator from another.