Property Coaching Network Podcast

Assisted Sales, Vendor Finance & Off-Market Deals at 25 | Declan Macaloney | PCN Podcast #36

Property Coaching Network Podcast

Show Notes

Declan Macaloney runs Vitality Property & Refurbishments in Stirling and buys nearly all his property off-market, through assisted sales, vendor finance, and derelict houses he tracks down himself on the land register.

He's 25. Started as an apprentice at 16, bought his first flat at 20, and last year put £380,000 into other people's houses and got £359,000 back out.

What makes it work isn't a clever script. It's that he doesn't turn up as a property investor at all. He turns up as a builder, in a sign-written van, with Google reviews and his face on the website. Sellers let him in. He explains exactly why in this one.

We go through how assisted sales actually work, and how to pitch one so the seller genuinely ends up better off. That includes the deal where he stopped a repossession, agreed at £60k, and sold for £210k.

Then vendor finance, and why he'll happily pay more for a property if he gets the right terms. On one deal that meant £125,000 spread interest free over three years.

There's the honest side too. Being asset rich with nothing in the bank. Working until 2am for a fortnight then falling off a cliff. Weighing up whether to wind down a profitable refurb business. And the £1.6 million Sauchiehall Street deal he walked away from and openly admits he bottled.

In this episode:

Why he never introduces himself as a property investor How assisted sales work for the seller, not just the buyer Structuring vendor finance so you pay over years instead of on completion Why the term matters more than the price on creative deals Finding empty and derelict houses using the land register for £3.60 Why knocking the door beats sending a letter What happens when an assisted sale seller comes back asking for more money The reality of doing this at 25 with cash tied up everywhere

Subscribe for UK property, creative finance, and refurb strategy.

Would you knock the door or send the letter? Let us know in the comments.

🌐 Property Coaching Network: https://propertycoachingnetwork.com 📚 Property Coaching Intensive: https://propertycoaching.com/

📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_smart_property/ 📲 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@davidsmartproperty 📲 LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/david-smart- 📲 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.smart.7393/

🔨 Declan / Vitality Property & Refurbishments: https://www.instagram.com/vitality.property.stirling/

📩 [email protected]

More from Property Coaching Network Podcast

Oct 19, 2026

Property investing while working full time: how Sarah Harman went from maternity leave to around 35 properties, and the checks she now runs on every deal.

Oct 12, 2026

Alex Coghill was David's first ever hire. Just over a year after leaving to go out on his own, his serviced accommodation management company, Recharge, looks after close to 90 properties across Scotland, with well over 100 in sight.

Oct 5, 2026

Steven Clark built 10 buy-to-lets while working offshore. In 2016 he quit a £70K salary with money in the bank and a couple of grand a month coming in from the portfolio, and he says that cushion was the worst thing that could have happened to him.

Sep 28, 2026

How to grow a scalable property business, from someone who has done it. John Morris started Prime Property Auctions in his attic and grew it to £1.45m revenue and 23 staff in two years.

Sep 21, 2026

Working abroad property investing, done for real. Mark Downie left £15,000 a month tax free in Saudi Arabia for property investing in Scotland: 8 units, £8,200 a month cash flow, a £2m portfolio.

See all episodes →