Invest money in real estate with a return of around 6% with very low risk. A ‘too good to be true’ story? Or maybe not…
“I can imagine and totally understand that people might think that way.” says Briqwise partner Pieter Porte. “But at least it’s a sign investors are paying attention and not looking for ‘pie in the sky’ opportunities. They are just the kind of investor we are looking for. Critical, thorough, realistic – just like us. And it has to be that way to continue to make Briqwise a successful company.”
Attractive returns
After building and selling two companies, Porte became interested in the investment market.
“Your money in the bank is safe, but it is also useless with current interest rates. I wasn’t looking to win the lotto, but I did want to make a decent return. So I started looking for alternatives.
With stocks, bonds, and options you can opt for a high-risk or risk-averse portfolio. But the risk-averse alternatives don’t return much. And bonds have disadvantages too as you can’t access your money for quite a while. I wanted to try and remain flexible with my money at all times.
With riskier investments I often see things go wrong. Even the ‘experts’ are still surprised if there is a major rise or fall. I wanted to make decent returns, but didn’t want to risk losing everything. Like most people, I have worked hard for years to build up my assets.
But nowadays there’s so much opportunity to invest on your own. Apps make it accessible and easy. However, although investing small amounts might be a nice start, as soon as the stakes get higher, the consequences get more serious. That’s when people ask themselves “What do I really want to do?”.
Less hassle. Less stress.
“Do you want to be watching the stock market every day, wondering whether to sell or buy every time you think something’s going to happen? If you like stress and tension, do it that way!” says Porte with a shrug.
“Or you can invest the Briqwise way. Our investors are different. They are looking for something far less stressful and much more secure.
Over the years, real estate has proven to be the most solid way to invest. The value is stable and more predictable than many other investments. Even if you follow trends and fluctuations just a little bit you can see changes coming and even anticipate them. For investors looking for both efficiency and certainty, this is a good starting point.”
“Which is good, but not good enough.” says Porte. “Briqwise can offer investors not only a 6% return, but the comfort of a first mortgage security as well.”
Extra security
“It starts with a sworn valuation of the property to be financed. This valuation is conducted by an accredited API valuer. We will only proceed if there is an acceptable Loan-to-Value ratio to ensure the investor is better protected.” explains Porte. “Buyers are carefully screened and must finance with a minimum 25% of their own money. Investors choose the property they want to invest in and receive extra protection by holding the first mortgage security. If a borrower is late with a monthly payment, then Briqwise will pay it. Finally, investors can monetise their investment at any time. Could you wish for more?” asks Porte with a smile.
Then he continues in a serious vein: “We can only offer investors this certainty and protection if we feel that certainty ourselves. We don’t deal with unrealistic buyers and investors. Rather, we try to be as objective as possible, based on a careful property assessment and a thorough credit check of the borrower. Even after closing a deal we continue to monitor local market fluctuations that may affect the property as well as the borrower. This provides yet more comfort and confidence for investors with Briqwise.”
Pieter Porte works with two partners at Briqwise. This triad of expertise complements each other well. Frank van Dongen is a financial specialist who has worked in banking for many years and specialises in assessing investment opportunities risk analysis.
As a former Crowdfund Coach, Guus Oerlemans has a wealth of experience matching buyers with investors.
