“Any solution must be online, easy and simple - and we’ve found that with GetGround”
A growing bunch of our partners have been so impressed with GetGround’s service for their clients, that they’ve chosen to become GG customers themselves. Nik Lee, Head of Business Development, at Alliance Investments, is one of those partners.
We caught up with Nik at Alliance’s Dubai office, to chat about his experience with GetGround so far, and how GG fits into Alliance Investment’s long-term goals.
Hi Nik! First off – who are Alliance Investments?
We’re a property developer and agent based in the UK. We market, sell and exchange off-plan properties, as well as carefully selecting new-build housing projects from other partner developers. We’re headquartered in Manchester, with local experts on hand across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Tell us about your target customers: who are they and what are they looking for?
Anyone looking to invest in UK property, from first-time investors to seasoned buyers keen on building their portfolios.
We find everyone initially wants to invest in London, particularly as an overseas buyer. It’s our job to present better opportunities (and greater returns) by helping them diversify into other cities, like Manchester or Birmingham. Whether that’s from here in Dubai, or anywhere else across the world, we nurture those clients by understanding their budget and timescale to present them with the right investment opportunities, at the right time.
Why did you decide to offer buy-to-let limited companies to your clients?
I’d heard about the benefits of limited companies for some time, but we had no partner to provide this service, unlike other areas of the property investment journey.
With a background in fintech myself, I knew that looking for something that wouldn’t slow down the sales process would be key here. Any solution must be online, easy, and simple – and we’ve found that with GetGround. Your online system puts all the setup and management processes that surround limited companies into one easy place.
When do you offer limited companies to your clients?
It’s a great tool for moving deals over the line, particularly for those clients of ours looking to expand their portfolios. It presents them with a different way to invest, provides important tax efficiencies, and optimises their properties for them over time and when they come to sell. From our side, it’s your speed of execution that’s so crucial; it doesn’t slow down the sales process, and that keeps our clients happy too.
What’s next for the GetGround partnership?
We’re always looking to diversify and grow as a business – much like GetGround. We’re looking forward to working more closely together and finding new ways to help each other to do that.
And lastly, what about your experience as a GetGround customer, Nik?
Awesome! In all seriousness, at the end of the process, I emailed Bianca directly to say that. Five stars from me and that gives us at Alliance Investments further confidence in your level of service when it comes to referring our clients over to you, so thank you.
More about Nik…
Nik has six years’ experience working in business development, building partner relationships in the finance, fintech and real estate industry across UK, Europe and Asia. Previously based in Manchester and London, Nik moved to the Alliance Investments’ Hong Kong office to grow the partnerships network of wealth managers and real estate professionals across the APAC region. He’s now based out of their Dubai office.
If you’re wondering whether your business could benefit from a partnership with GetGround, find out more here. Or, if you’re an existing partner looking to feature in our Partner Spotlight series, just reach out to your Partner Manager to find out more.