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The Engagement Appeal x Bola Ranson: Development of Property and the Self

By Emmeline Armitage

The meeting point of art and commerce is ever-changing and hard to define. What place does art have in the world of finance? How can young, savvy individuals learn to secure their footing in the world of work through smart investment? What advice do successful entrepreneurs have for the youth of today about finance, culture, and belief in the self? These are all questions ‘Art and the City’ seeks to answer, by interviewing some of the brightest and boldest minds in both the art world and the city.  

In this week’s episode, we interview Bola Ranson, who holds over 20 years of experience in property investing. His video course ‘How I built a 25-million-pound income-generating property portfolio with 20k and zero property knowledge’ is popular amongst his 45k Instagram followers. He is a mentor and a coach for those interested in all things property, a director of his own company, Ranson UK, and recently acquired one of Kate Bush’s former homes!  

Bola’s career began with the study of computer science, and a year-in-industry that led to him starting a small business from his bedroom. His passion for entrepreneurism at such a young age also led to a stint in magazine making, for ‘computing and office jobs’, which he used to sell by driving around local areas. He reached student unions, and got his name out in the graphic design world, finally landing jobs with more serious entertainment industry moguls. By his final year of university, he had learnt the basics of good business planning and negotiating, and begun the true start of his own career. 

From a small office in Walthamstow with a couple of graphic designers, Bola graduated to bigger ideas, but it was his side-hustle that would soon become his main passion, as he began renting property for small amounts, and then found that his passive income was paying his mortgage and his car bills! He added more properties to his portfolio with the income he was making, in 2003 acquiring a monumental bulk of 31 flats in East India Dock road, bought by finding innovative solutions to make everyone in his deal happy. Bola now has 55 properties worth 25 million pounds, and around 76 tenants in total.  

His advice for anyone wishing to enter in the industry he’s in? Reach out to other successful people, they probably have some great advice to give you!  

To listen to the episode in full, please head to: Art x City feat. Bola Ranson

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