You may be working through planning, finance, design, consultants, construction pricing, investors or an unexpected project problem.
You may need to make an important decision, regain momentum or simply have an experienced developer help you see the situation more clearly.
Or you may be approaching the end of a project and asking: What should I do next?
Your next stage might be:
- solving a problem within your current project
- working out the best way to keep it moving
- testing an important assumption or decision
- preparing for funding, planning or construction
- strengthening your project team
- defining what your next development should be
- assessing whether a new opportunity is worth pursuing
- stepping up to a larger or more ambitious project
The Next Stage Program gives you practical one-to-one guidance to progress the project in front of you and prepare for whatever comes next.
You bring the real projects, opportunities, decisions and problems you are facing. Together, we work out what matters, what is missing, what needs further investigation and what you need to do next.
The immediate goal is to help you make better decisions and keep moving.
The bigger outcome is to help you become a more capable, confident and commercially aware property developer—ready for your current project and any other ambitious projects you want to do in the future.
More confidence. Better decisions.
You may understand the principles but still find yourself asking:
What should my next project be?
What location, product and scale suit me?
How do I identify suitable opportunities?
What assumptions am I making?
What information am I missing?
Is the project too ambitious—or not ambitious enough?
How will I fund it?
Who needs to be on my team?
What should I investigate next?
How do I stop circling opportunities and start making progress?
The right answers depend on your experience, financial position, available time, risk tolerance and longer-term ambitions.
Next Stage is my private property development mentoring program designed to help you answer those questions and turn your ambition into informed, practical action.
My entire approach has shifted since working with Justin. Every opportunity is now rigorously screened to ensure it aligns with the long-term vision for myself and my family.
The value of the program far outweighs the cost. The time and money Justin saves you by helping you avoid costly mistakes, lost opportunities and sleepless nights will easily cover his fees." Adam P
For others, it is finding another project after completing or selling a previous one.
It may mean progressing an existing project, stepping up from smaller developments, attracting capital, building a stronger team or creating a development business that can eventually replace employment or business income.
You have learned the fundamentals and are serious about completing a project, but you need help applying that knowledge to your circumstances.
We work through what you should be looking for, what is realistically achievable and what needs to be in place before you commit.
Searching for your next opportunity
You are reviewing sites or considering different locations and development models, but you need clearer criteria and a more disciplined way to assess opportunities.
We develop a framework that helps you decide what to reject, what to investigate and what may be worth pursuing.
Progressing or stepping up
You already have development experience or a live project and want help navigating greater complexity, solving problems or preparing for a more ambitious next move.
We focus on the decisions, risks, relationships and actions required to keep progressing.
"Working with Justin has been a game changer for me. I'd go so far as to say that it's been a fundamental aspect of my development as a property developer.
He doesn't just guide he challenges and encourages growth." Jim C
The work is adapted to your experience, circumstances and the project or opportunity in front of you.
We will look at where you are and what you want to achieve with your property developing.
Before searching for sites, you need to know what you are actually looking for.
We consider:
- preferred locations and target markets
- development product and scale
- planning and construction complexity
- available capital and borrowing capacity
-experience and existing capability
- available time and desired involvement
- risk tolerance
- potential partners or investors
- the role you want to play as the developer
- how the project fits your longer-term ambitions
The objective is to establish a realistic bridge between where you are now and where you ultimately want to go.
This work forms your Next Project Brief—a practical definition of the project you are seeking and the parameters within which it needs to operate.
Justin tailored a mentorship model to suit my needs and current position. I have implemented many valuable lessons that have completely revolutionised my business. These include goal setting, strategy, success planning and problem-solving skills.
Justin has a cool and calm approach, along with a vast knowledge of all facets of property development. The confidence and knowledge gained from Justin's mentorship has been invaluable." Daniel C
Once you know what you are looking for, we establish clear criteria for evaluating potential projects.
This may include:
- location and market requirements
- planning considerations
- site characteristics
- target purchase parameters
- preliminary feasibility hurdles
- risk and complexity limits
- due-diligence requirements
- essential professional advice
- deal-breakers and rejection criteria
This becomes your Site Selection and Assessment Framework.
It gives you a more consistent way to screen opportunities and reduces the temptation to chase every interesting site or force an unsuitable deal to work.
A suitable site is only one part of a viable development.
We identify what else needs to be in place, including:
- likely equity and debt requirements
- potential funding gaps
- project cashflow and timing
- questions to raise with brokers and lenders
- investor or partnership considerations
- required consultants and advisers
- capability gaps
- information still to be obtained
- the appropriate sequence of investigations
- decisions required before progressing
Where specialist advice is needed, we identify who you should speak with and help you prepare better questions for those conversations.
This work forms your Project Readiness Roadmap—a clear picture of what is already in place, what is missing and what needs to happen next.
When you identify a site or already have a live project, we apply the work to the actual decisions in front of you.
We may examine:
- potential sites
- feasibility assumptions
- consultant advice
- planning and design decisions
- construction pricing
- funding pathways
- investor proposals
- project risks
- team performance
- unexpected problems
- important meetings and negotiations
- whether to reject, investigate further or proceed
I will challenge your assumptions, identify gaps and share my perspective.
You remain responsible for the final decision and for obtaining the appropriate specialist advice.
It is easy to become distracted, postpone difficult conversations or spend weeks working on matters that are not driving the project forward.
Our weekly sessions focus on the most important issue at that point in time.
A session may involve:
- reviewing progress
- assessing a site or opportunity
- discussing a feasibility
- working through a project problem
- preparing for a consultant, lender or investor conversation
- considering alternative strategies
- making a decision
- identifying roadblocks
- establishing the next priorities
You finish each session knowing what has been decided, what remains uncertain and what you need to do next.
Your preferred projects, level of risk, financial requirements, time commitments and desired role should reflect the future you are trying to create for yourself and your family.
As part of Next Stage, we develop the relevant elements of your Property Developer Success Plan.
This may include:
- your short and long-term ambitions
- the role property development will play in your future
- financial and lifestyle objectives
- projects that genuinely interest you
- your values and decision-making principles
- personal and professional standards
- responsibilities you should retain
- work that can be delegated
- capabilities and relationships that need to be developed
This work is not separate from project strategy.
It helps determine what to pursue, what to reject and what kind of property developer you need to become to achieve your ambitions.
The longer-term value comes from improving how you approach every project that follows.
Through the practical work, you develop:
- stronger commercial judgement
- greater confidence in your decisions
- clearer thinking under pressure
- better communication with consultants and advisers
- a more disciplined approach to site selection
- stronger leadership
- greater accountability
- increased independence
- the capability to pursue increasingly ambitious projects
The purpose is not to make you dependent on a mentor.
It is to help you become a more capable and self-directed property developer.
I am an active property developer who has delivered more than $24 million of development projects and built dozens of townhouses across multiple developments.
My experience has not come only from successful outcomes.
Over the years, I have dealt with:
- planning refusals
- difficult builders
- legal disputes
- project delays
- consultant issues
- construction cost increases
- changing markets
- funding pressure
- investor relationships
- unexpected setbacks
The difficult experiences have shaped my judgement just as much as the successful ones.
Next Stage gives you access to that experience as you navigate your own opportunities and projects.
- Next Project Brief
- Site Selection and Assessment Framework
- Project Readiness Roadmap
- 90-Day Action Plan
- Funding Pathway Map
- Project Team and Consultant Plan
- Site Assessment and Decision Records
These are working tools, not paperwork for its own sake. They are created where they will improve your decisions and actions.
Discussion of potential sites, feasibilities, plans, proposals, risks and other material relevant to the decisions you are making.
We identify what are the most inspiring projects that you would love to tackle and how to get to them. How will you find your dream project if you don't know what you are looking for?
Clear priorities and follow-up to help ensure important actions do not continually get postponed.
We identify what you would love to be known for and what you can leave for loved ones or things you care about. Maybe you want to leave a substantial estate for your kids, maybe you want to establish a school to help vulnerable kids, whatever it is, it pays to work out what you want to leave behind.
Property Developer Success Plan
A personalised framework connecting your development strategy with your longer-term personal, family, lifestyle and financial ambitions.
You will not receive a standard formula or be told to pursue a particular development model simply because it worked for somebody else.
You will receive clear, practical guidance based on your circumstances—what to consider, what to investigate and what to do next.
Sometimes that means moving forward.
Sometimes it means slowing down and investigating further.
Sometimes the right decision will be to reject an opportunity entirely.
A course teaches principles and processes. Next Stage helps you apply those principles to your particular circumstances, opportunities and decisions.
It is not a buyer's agency or site-sourcing service.
I will help you establish what to look for and assess opportunities, but I will not sell you a property or guarantee that a suitable site will be found.
It is not project management.
I will help you lead the project, question advice and make better-informed decisions, but I do not replace the consultants responsible for delivering it.
It is not legal, financial, tax, planning or investment advice.
Where specialist advice is required, you remain responsible for engaging appropriately qualified professionals.
It is not a guarantee of approval, funding, profitability or project success.
Property development always involves uncertainty and risk. The objective is to approach those risks with stronger preparation, better questions and more informed decision-making.
- are serious about pursuing or progressing a property development
- have completed relevant education or already have practical experience
- want help applying what you know
- have a realistic pathway towards acting
- are willing to investigate opportunities properly
- value direct and honest feedback
- are prepared to have your assumptions challenged
- will complete agreed actions between sessions
- want to become increasingly capable and independent
You do not need to be an experienced developer.
However, you do need to be willing and reasonably positioned to make progress.
Next Stage is unlikely to be right for you if you:
- are only casually exploring property development
- want somebody else to find and deliver a project for you
- expect guaranteed finance or profitability
- are unwilling to investigate risks or obtain specialist advice
- want answers without completing the underlying work
- have no foreseeable capacity to pursue a project
- primarily need foundational property development education
If you are still learning the fundamentals, the Property Developer Training Program may be the more appropriate starting point.
No.
Some of the most important work happens before a site is acquired. We can define what you should be looking for, establish your assessment criteria and identify what needs to be in place before you commit.
You should, however, have a genuine intention and a reasonably realistic pathway towards pursuing a project.
Is this suitable for a first-time developer?
It can be.
Next Stage is particularly useful for someone who has completed relevant education but needs help applying it to their circumstances.
If you are starting without foundational development knowledge, the Property Developer Training Program may be the better first step.
Can you review potential sites?
Yes.
We can discuss potential sites, test assumptions, consider preliminary feasibility and identify further investigations that may be required.
I will not make the acquisition decision for you or provide specialist advice outside my expertise.
Will you help me obtain finance?
We can work through likely capital requirements, potential funding gaps, project timing and the questions you should raise with brokers, lenders or investors.
I do not provide regulated financial advice or guarantee that finance will be available.
How long does the program run?
There is an initial three-month commitment.
Some clients use this period to establish their direction and project-readiness framework. Others continue receiving support while finding, acquiring or delivering their project.
How is this different from the Property Developer Training Program?
The Property Developer Training Program teaches the principles and processes of property development.
Next Stage is private, one-to-one guidance focused on applying those principles to your goals, projects, opportunities and decisions.
If I believe Next Stage may be suitable, we will arrange a short call to discuss your circumstances, what you need and whether the program is the right fit.
There is no obligation. If I do not believe I am the right person to help, I will tell you.