Honest Property Investment with Natasha Collins

Natasha Collins
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Investing
  • Updated Biweekly

Confident investing without shortcuts. The Honest Property Investment Podcast gives UK commercial and mixed-use property investors the expert insight, strategic guidance, and no-fluff support they need to build high-performing portfolios that generate income and hold long-term value. Led by Chartered Surveyor Natasha Collins MRICS, each episode dives into smart commercial property strategies, risk mitigation, leasing, valuations, and the realities of property management — all with honesty, integrity, and innovation at its core. 🎙️ New episodes drop every Tuesday at 7am UK time.

  1. 18h ago

    The commercial property market is changing quickly—but not always in the ways people expect.

    In this episode, I'm sharing a conversation from one of our Thursday night Members Club Q&A sessions after several members suggested it deserved to become a podcast. You can join the Members Club here ---> https://ncrealestate.co.uk/membersclub We discuss what's happening behind the scenes across the commercial property market, from institutional investors pulling back on spending to increasing rent-free incentives, cautious lenders and deals that are collapsing during lease negotiations. While the headlines often focus on interest rates or values, the reality on the ground tells a much bigger story. Understanding these market dynamics can help you negotiate better, analyse deals more realistically and avoid overpaying. In this episode I cover: Why institutional investors are cutting capital expenditure and what that means for the wider market.How increasing rent-free periods are reducing landlords' effective income.Why banks and valuers still appear to be catching up with current market conditions.Why commercial property prices may continue to soften.The challenges landlords are facing when letting vacant space.How solicitors are unintentionally slowing transactions.Why cash buyers and SSAS purchasers are currently in a particularly strong negotiating position.The assumptions I'm now using when analysing acquisitions, including realistic vacancy periods.A simple back-of-the-envelope calculation I use before deciding whether to pursue a deal.Commercial property has always been cyclical. The key isn't avoiding the market—it's understanding where the opportunities are and making decisions based on today's realities rather than yesterday's assumptions. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you subscribed to the Honest Property Investment Podcast and left a review. It really helps more commercial property investors discover the show.

  2. Jul 14

    How to Make Commercial Property Offers in Today's Market

    Making an offer on a commercial property is about far more than simply negotiating on price. In today's market, understanding the wider economy and how it affects both investors and tenants is essential if you want to make informed investment decisions. In this episode, I explain how I use the current market conditions to shape my offer strategy, why asking price and market value are rarely the same, and how to negotiate professionally using data rather than emotion. I also share why my own underwriting assumptions have changed, from longer void periods and increased rent-free assumptions to higher borrowing costs, and how these changes influence the price I'm prepared to pay. Topics covered include: Why the asking price isn't necessarily the market value Understanding the agent's role in the negotiation process How the current economic climate is influencing my offers Using market data to support your negotiations Why your assumptions should determine your offer price Educating agents on how you've reached your valuation Looking beyond price and negotiating on terms Why today's market presents opportunities for disciplined investors The best commercial property investors don't make offers based on emotion or asking prices. They make offers based on robust analysis, sensible assumptions and a clear understanding of the risks involved. NC Real Estate helps commercial property investors build high-performing, income-generating portfolios that have the potential to increase their value — without the overwhelm.

  3. Jul 7

    How I Read the Economy as a Commercial Property Investor

    Over the past few episodes, I've explored the key economic indicators that influence commercial property, from gilt yields and occupier demand to inflation and interest rates. But understanding these indicators individually is only part of the picture. In this episode, I bring everything together and explain how I use these indicators to assess the market and, more importantly, how they influence the assumptions I make when analysing commercial property investments. I also share the simple framework I use each month to stay informed without spending hours reading economic reports. Topics covered include: Why you don't need to predict the economy to become a better investorHow gilt yields influence commercial property valuesWhat the RICS Commercial Property Monitor tells us about tenant demandWhy inflation affects far more than just rent reviewsHow interest rates influence both landlords and tenantsWhy commercial mortgage rates don't always move with the Bank of England base rateThe assumptions I've changed in my own deal analysisHow I use economic data to build a more resilient commercial property portfolio Successful investing isn't about forecasting the future. It's about understanding what's happening around you and making sensible assumptions based on the current market.

  4. Jun 30

    Why Your Commercial Mortgage Rate Can Change Without the Bank of England Doing Anything

    Many commercial property investors assume the Bank of England base rate is the only interest rate that matters. In reality, commercial lenders consider a much wider range of economic factors when pricing debt. In this episode, I explain why commercial mortgage rates can increase even when the base rate remains unchanged, how lenders assess future risk, and what this means for commercial property investors. I also explore how rising borrowing costs affect not only landlords, but tenants too, influencing business expansion, demand for commercial space and ultimately investment performance. Topics covered include: How the Bank of England base rate works Why commercial mortgage rates don't always follow the base rate The factors lenders consider when pricing commercial debt How higher borrowing costs affect deal analysis Why interest rates influence tenant demand as well as investors How I'm stress-testing acquisitions in today's market Building resilience into your commercial property portfolio Understanding the cost of debt is about far more than watching the next interest rate announcement. It's about understanding how lenders think and ensuring your investments remain resilient in an ever-changing economic environment.

  5. Jun 23

    How the Latest Occupier Market Data Is Changing My Deal Analysis

    The latest RICS Commercial Property Monitor suggests tenant demand remains subdued across much of the UK commercial property market, but what does that actually mean for investors? In this episode, I look beyond the headlines and explore how weak occupier demand impacts leasing negotiations, incentives, void periods and ultimately investment performance. I share how I'm adjusting my own deal analysis in response to current market conditions, including increasing void assumptions, allowing for longer rent-free periods and taking a more conservative approach to underwriting acquisitions. Topics covered include: What the latest RICS occupier market data is telling usWhy weak tenant demand doesn't always show up in headline rentsThe difference between headline rent and net effective rentHow negotiating power shifts when tenants have more optionsWhy leasing transactions are taking longer to completeThe growing divide between prime and secondary assetsHow I'm changing my underwriting assumptions in today's marketThe occupier market data isn't telling me to stop investing. It's telling me to be realistic. If a deal still works when you allow for longer voids, greater incentives and slower transactions, it's likely to be a much stronger investment.

  6. Jun 16

    How Inflation Really Affects Commercial Property

    When inflation rises, most commercial property investors focus on one thing: rent reviews. But inflation impacts far more than rental income. In this episode, I explore how CPI, RPI and wider inflationary pressures affect commercial property tenants, from rising wages and energy costs to increasing service charge budgets and insurance premiums. I discuss why understanding inflation can help investors assess tenant affordability, covenant strength and future risk, and why a successful rent review means very little if the tenant cannot comfortably absorb the increase. Topics covered include: The difference between CPI and RPIWhy landlords often favour index-linked rent reviewsHow inflation affects tenant profitabilityThe impact of rising service charge and occupation costsWhy occupation cost matters more than rent aloneUsing inflation as an indicator of covenant strengthQuestions investors should be asking about tenant affordabilityInflation doesn't just affect rental growth. It affects the businesses paying the rent. Understanding that distinction can help investors make better decisions around acquisitions, asset management and long-term portfolio performance.

  7. Jun 9

    Why Commercial Property Investors Should Care About Gilt Yields

    Most commercial property investors never intend to buy a gilt, but understanding gilt yields is one of the keys to understanding what drives property values. In this episode, I break down what a gilt actually is, why gilt yields have risen so dramatically in recent years, and how changes in the wider investment market can affect commercial property values even when nothing has changed about the property itself. Topics covered include: What a gilt is in simple terms Why gilt yields have become so important The relationship between gilt yields and commercial property yields Why property values can change even when rents and tenants remain the same How investors compare property against other investment opportunities Why commercial property still offers advantages through leverage, asset management and value creation If you've ever wondered why valuations move despite no obvious changes at the property, this episode will help explain one of the biggest forces influencing the market today.

  8. May 26

    Part 8: Commercial Property Q&A: Lease Renewals, Covenant Risk & The Myth of Passive Income

    After seven episodes covering the lifecycle of a commercial property — from lettings and rent reviews through to arrears, lease renewals and dilapidations — this final episode answers listener questions based on real-world situations. This episode focuses on the commercial realities behind investment decisions, lease negotiations, tenant covenant strength, and the operational side of owning commercial property. Commercial property can create exceptional long-term wealth and income — but it is not passive. It is a constant process of: negotiationstrategyproblem solvingand decision-makingAnd often, the most important work happens quietly in the background. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions for this series. If there’s a topic you’d like covered in future podcast episodes, feel free to get in touch.

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About

Confident investing without shortcuts. The Honest Property Investment Podcast gives UK commercial and mixed-use property investors the expert insight, strategic guidance, and no-fluff support they need to build high-performing portfolios that generate income and hold long-term value. Led by Chartered Surveyor Natasha Collins MRICS, each episode dives into smart commercial property strategies, risk mitigation, leasing, valuations, and the realities of property management — all with honesty, integrity, and innovation at its core. 🎙️ New episodes drop every Tuesday at 7am UK time.

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