Wolfe Property is a coaching team - coaches, a registered valuer, and Power Teams of builders, brokers, trades and agents nationwide - built on one investor's playbook.
Also in your corner: Mike, Registered Valuer - 40 years' experience, with every Boardroom deal analysed through a valuer's eyes before purchase, backed by a nationwide valuer network. Behind the coaches: Power Teams from Whangārei to Dunedin and an off-market deal-sourcer network.
Ilse started her property journey at 22 with enthusiasm, $5k from a credit card, and a boyfriend who contributed the remainder of an $18k deposit.
Like many first-time investors, they bought in their backyard.
They bought a second property just months before the GFC. With their mortgages now larger than the property values (negative equity) and interest rates at 9%, it was time for some tough decisions.
The boyfriend was toast, but Ilse's enthusiasm was stronger than ever.
She managed to hold on to those two properties and the next projects were to buy and renovate to add value. With a modest renovation budget and DIY skills she was able to lift her next property's value enough to refinance and create a deposit for the next purchase. This approach helped Ilse to get to 5 properties before her broker told her "you can't afford any more lending." Her renovations had built the equity required to buy again, but Ilse's ability to service additional debt was completely tapped out. This was her first clue that cashflow was important.
As a firm believer in self-education and learning from those who have gone before you, she invested in a property coaching program. However the service was a "one size fits all" approach with no focus on rental income or cashflow. After buying 3 inner Auckland properties in 6 months, Ilse found herself topping up these mortgages by $60k per annum. With a new baby and a single income, Ilse and her husband Taylor found themselves in real strife. On paper they had built wealth, but almost all of Taylor's salary was going straight back to the bank every month. Turns out you can't use capital gains to pay for groceries.
If they didn't make some big changes quickly, they were going to lose everything they'd built. They could no longer afford to live in their family home in Auckland. Within 2 weeks they were forced to move in with Taylor's parents and tighten their belts. Ilse swore she would never get into that situation again, and a new strategy was born - Cashflow Hacking.
Cashflow Hacking™ was born as the culmination of blood, sweat, tears, and tough lessons, and laid the foundation for stunning success. After seeing the pitfalls of not knowing the exact numbers of a project, Ilse became incredibly methodical when evaluating and completing renovations. She found over time that she had a mental checklist of the things she needed to do to add significant value to a renovation, which later became her 6 Cashflow Hacking principles. Think the BRRRR method using renovations, but focused on rent improvement that rustles up a higher value for the property. With these principles, she developed the structure which allowed her to understand the post-renovation results of a project BEFORE purchasing the project. By doing this she would evaluate dozens of deals until she found those that would create significant equity gains, as well as maximise gross yield and cashflow - escaping the serviceability trap and building a life-changing portfolio.
Ilse's unique approach grew her portfolio to over 30 rentals. With her new method and rapidly-growing network of property professionals, Ilse started getting some attention. With admirers regularly asking for help on their own property journey, Ilse began coaching in 2020 with her trademark passion and a down-to-earth style that stands out in a competitive industry. She originally partnered with Opes Partners to create Opes Accelerate. Then in 2023 rebranded as Wolfe Property Coaching. Wolfe Property then launched the Boardroom - NZ's only property coaching program that focuses on multi-unit dwellings.
Today Wolfe Property runs from its office in Takapuna, Auckland. What started as one investor's playbook is now a team of four: Ilse and Teide coaching clients one-on-one, with Shiori and Taylor running operations behind them.
My vision is to create the most successful group of property investors in New Zealand using renovations - so that their families can create the story of their dreams. Smart investors leverage expertise. My clients skip all those easy-to-make, but easily avoidable pitfalls, and are successful from day 1. With my process, a client can calculate the equity uplift, rent and long-term wealth they will create BEFORE the property is purchased. You shouldn't be using guesswork when it comes to your future.