Around four years ago, when I started in property, someone in my network gave me one of the greatest pieces of advice ever: find yourself a good mortgage broker. I did, and that person is my latest podcast guest, the wonderful Rory Shackleton.

Rory Shackleton, whom I met as a mortgage broker at Trafalgar Square Financial Planning Consultants, offers his clients' monetary advice and property brokering services nationwide. He began as a broker back in 2006, after spending many years working in recruitment - in effect, swapping hunting heads for hunting mortgages! Fast-forward 15 years and Rory has arranged over 3500 mortgages (including all of mine), equating in total to an incredible 425 million pounds loaned!

But who needs a broker, right? Well, if you're investing in property, then YOU do! During the podcast, Rory and I chat about how critical it is to have a broker within your power team, equally as crucial as your builder and tradespeople, for getting each project over the line in the most efficient manner.

Rory also shares a few secrets outside of mortgage brokering - financial tips like creating an optimised BTL strategy and making the most out of your credit score. It's all incredibly useful information whether you're brand-new to property or a veteran looking to make tweaks to your processes.

What would he tell his 20-year-old self? Grab a brew and have a listen to what Rory has to say. There might just be a lightbulb moment in there waiting for you!

If you want to get in touch with Rory, you can drop him an email at: rory@trafalgarsq.co.uk