He Lost Nearly £1 Million in 2008. Today He Owns £25 Million | The Blueprint of Success Podcast with Bola Ranson
In 2007 Bola Ranson had around 60 properties reserved, first-time buyers lined up, and a model that was working. Then the credit crunch hit, lenders cancelled mortgage offers that had already been issued, and he lost close to a million pounds. He gave every buyer their deposit back. He didn't have to. He felt he should. Today he holds a property portfolio worth over £25 million. In this episode of The Blueprint of Success, Rahim Bah sits down with Bola Ranson — property investor, international speaker and investment strategist — for one of the most honest conversations we've had on this channel. 🏠 THE STORY Bola grew up in Tottenham, north London. His dad drove a minicab, his mum was a nurse working multiple jobs, and with four siblings, money was tight. He was shy, introverted, and by the third year of secondary school his grades were falling off a cliff. His mum pulled him out and moved him to a school in Arnos Grove. He calls it the best thing she ever did for him. At 15 he became a barber, where he met the mentor who taught him what being the best at something actually means. At university he couldn't find a placement, so he created his own — building a graduate jobs magazine from his mum's bedroom, driving round the country distributing it, running out of money, and falling asleep at the wheel. That year taught him design, and design became a business. His first big contract — around £10,000 — was never paid. He was nearly bankrupt before he'd properly started. 🔑 THE FIRST PROPERTY In 1999 an estate agent suggested property. He bought a two-bed flat in Beckton for £75,000, renting at £750 a month against a £350 mortgage. Four months later, a studio in Wapping for £105,000. Two flats, around £600 a month of passive income — which he used to pay for a Porsche Boxster. That's when the thought landed: what if property could pay for the whole lifestyle? He still owns both flats. One is now worth around £400,000. The other around £450,000. 📌 What we're going to learn in this episode: ✅ How two flats in 1999 became a £25 million portfolio ✅ Why he looks for risk before profit on every deal ✅ What really happened in 2007, and what it cost him ✅ Why he gave nearly £750,000 of deposits back when he didn't have to ✅ How he negotiated 20% discounts buying in bulk from developers ✅ Why he'll never buy off-plan again ✅ Exactly what he'd do with £50,000 and no experience ✅ Why buying the wrong property is "a chain around your neck" ✅ What trusts are, and when to set one up ✅ The day he shouted at his son on a football pitch — and never did it again ✅ Why he no longer believes wealth is the point 💬 What was your biggest takeaway? Let me know in the comments. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 📲 FOLLOW BOLA RANSON Website: https://bolaranson.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bolaranson/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bolaranson/ Property Mastery: https://training.bolaranson.com/ Books mentioned: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, and Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🎁 Grab Your FREE Property Investment Guide Unlock expert strategies to start or grow your property investment journey — absolutely FREE! PLUS, 3 exclusive bonus gifts. 👉 https://guide.property-investments-blueprint.co.uk/home 🏠 Join the FREE BRRR Webinar 👉 https://brrr.property-investments-blueprint.co.uk/ 📅 Book Your FREE Strategy Session ☑️ https://book.property-investments-blueprint.co.uk/ 📲 Follow Rahim Bah: ☑️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rahimbahproperties ☑️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BahProperties ☑️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahimbahproperties 👤 About Rahim Bah Rahim Bah is a public speaker, entrepreneur, property investor, property educator and business mentor, helping people invest in UK property, grow personally and build a business.
