I’m a Former Police Officer Who Now Co-Owns 40 Property Investments Without Managing a Single Tenant: Here’s How

TS didn’t take the usual route into investing. A former officer in both London’s Metropolitan Police Service and the Royal Hong Kong Police, his disciplined approach to wealth came from years in public service and hard lessons learned through trial and error.

Today, he has more than 40 fractional real estate deals under his belt, most of them through RealVantage – a platform he credits for helping him stay invested in property without the usual headaches of ownership. But it took missteps in stocks, losses in forex, and property market crashes to shape the investor he is today.

What first sparked your interest in investing, and what were those early days like?

When I joined the Hong Kong police in 1984, I finally had surplus income. I had no experience, so I tried stocks and forex. I invested everything into the stock market just before the 1987 crash, and then sold in panic. Later, I lost almost all my money trusting others with leveraged forex trades. It taught me to stay invested in what I understand, and not let emotions or hype lead the way.

How did your time in the police shape your views on risk and long-term planning?

The police force gave me a stable salary and pension. It taught me to save steadily and think long-term. I wasn’t drawn to high-risk speculation; I wanted to build a portfolio that would last beyond my career.

Can you tell us about your first property purchase?  What motivated it, and how did it go?

There was a government scheme offering housing allowances to buy property. It seemed safe and was my first step into real estate. I later sold that flat at a good profit and used it to buy two more—but the 1997 Asian financial crisis hit, and I had to sell one at a significant loss. Still, I learned that property is sound over the long run. That same flat I sold in 2002 for HKD 2.18 million was worth HKD 24 million a decade later.

What lessons did you learn from managing rental properties?

A lot. Timing and location are key. Hold through downturns. But being a landlord is not passive – it’s tenancy renewals, refurbishment, agent fees, tax filing, and legal hassles. It’s draining, especially during vacancy periods. That’s what pushed me to look for more efficient ways to invest.

How has your approach to diversification changed?

After being hit hard in a single market, I knew I needed to spread my risk. I’ve since bought properties in India, the UK, Hong Kong, and Singapore. I also diversified across asset types – residential, industrial, office, even data centres. Different properties move on different cycles. It’s about understanding where the demand is, not chasing trends.

What drew you to fractional property investing?

When I discovered RealVantage, the model made perfect sense to me. It lets me stay in real estate, but without the burden of managing property myself. No tenant issues, no agents, no repairs, no tax paperwork. With smaller capital outlays, I could invest across more deals, sectors, and countries. That efficiency appealed to me, especially after years of managing physical property myself.

You’ve now done over 40 fractional deals. What keeps you coming back?

It’s simple: the model works. The platform is easy to use, the teams are experienced, and the research is strong. I don’t need to check the news every day because I trust the due diligence. Returns have been steady – around eight to nine per cent per year – and there’s never been a default in any of my investments.

Were there any surprises along the way?

Mostly positive ones. Some projects exited early with better returns. The managers were proactive and strategic, not passive. I’ve also had the opposite experience elsewhere; two platforms I tried went bankrupt because they focused on a single market and didn’t diversify. I lost everything. That made me value risk management even more.

What advice would you give to a first-time investor, especially one without a finance background?

Know your risk tolerance. Don’t chase promises. Stick to what you understand, and do your own research. No one will care about your money more than you do. Find platforms where the people behind it invest alongside you – that’s a good sign. And start small. Build confidence gradually.

Final thoughts

TS now allocates 20 per cent of his assets to fractional property and plans to increase that to 30 per cent. He still believes in property, but wants it to work for him, not the other way around.

TS’s journey into real estate investing is a reminder that success doesn’t come without its share of failures. From his early losses in stocks and forex, to dealing with the 1997 financial crisis, he learned the hard way that real estate can be profitable, but it’s not without its challenges. 

It’s now the risk management and diversification that matter most to him. With more than 40 fractional deals under his belt, TS is still adjusting his strategy, but one thing is clear: he’s much more comfortable letting a full time professional handle the heavy lifting.