James Nelis

I help business athletes build a property portfolio they can actually hold. Business athletes are high-performing professionals and athletes with strong incomes and not much spare time. Most investors don't go wrong because they picked a bad house. They go wrong because they overpaid, bought in the wrong market, or bought something that blocked their next purchase. I learnt the value of process in footy. Between 2012 and 2015 I played in three losing grand finals. In 2022 we finally won the QAFL premiership against the reigning premiers. The siren didn't create that moment. The years did. Property taught me the same thing. I bought my first place in Kallangur in 2014, and nobody asked what it was meant to do next, including me. A manager at AFL SportsReady showed me how equity can fund the next deposit. I've been building a portfolio, and a process, ever since. How I work • Strategy first, property second. We start with your goal and work back to the right market and asset. • Numbers you can hold. I run holding costs at your full pre-approval, leave tax benefits out of the model, and plan rent growth at a conservative 4%. • Data I've checked. Every market goes through multiple data providers, cross-checked before I rely on a number. • Skin in the game. I test my assumptions in my own portfolio first. Recognition • 2026 Australian Buyers Agent Awards finalist: Buyers Agent of the Year, Buyers Agency of the Year, Referral Network of the Year • One of 15 national expert contributors, SPI Fast 50 2026 • REB Rising Star Finalist • Guest on Smart Property Investment and Pizza and Property Outside work you'll find me with my partner Lauren and our son Tommy, training, reading, or working on my golf game. Two ways to start: → Read my articles, my weekly notes on property decisions that hold up years later. → Book a 15-minute call: https://calendly.com/james-thenelisgroup/discovery-call-with-james-tng, or message me "STRATEGY".

Specialties