Anyone can do it, says bus driver millionaire

Apr 18 2008 by Christopher Knox, The Journal

A FORMER bus driver has plans to build a multi- million-pound online estate agency business after making a splash in property investment.

Ronnie Davison quit his job driving buses for Arriva in Redcar in 2006 after building up a property portfolio worth £5m and is now using the profits to launch online venture Ultimatehomesandfinance.co.uk

Ronnie was bitten by the property bug in 2003 after acquiring his first buy-to-let house in Redcar, before purchasing another 55 North East properties in four years, which he has since leased out or refurbished and sold at a profit.

He said: "If I can do it, then anybody can do it. Looking back, everything has gone so fast since quitting my job as a bus driver and I’m now looking forward to growing the new business.

"I’ve always been interested in property development and as prices were so cheap five years ago, it was a good time to pursue it as a career."

The entrepreneur, who set up the business in Stockton with partner Ian Davison, now hopes to exceed a turnover of £1m in its first year and achieve a 10% increase year-on-year, despite the effects of the credit crunch on housing.

He is also expecting to increase the workforce from three to 10 by next year.

The business currently has 14 properties for sale and rent in areas such as Middlesbrough and Stockton, including 11 from Ronnie’s own portfolio.

The pair hope to expand the website to feature hundreds of properties and have already sold buy-to-let properties to international clients from places such as Singapore and Dubai as well as London. They hope to take in properties beyond the North East by the end of the year.

The site provides a range of services for those in the market for a house or flat, from scanning the market through to carrying out the final sale and it is planned to introduce brokering in the next few months.

Mr Davison said: "We are incredibly passionate about supporting people whether they want to get, stay or progress on the property ladder.

"We are aware of the problems facing the housing market and that it is a very risky time for a number of companies.

"However, there is never a perfect time to start a business of this scale and we remain a very ambitious company that already needs extra staff to support our current team and manage our already growing client base".