“mcl finance’s SME finance allowed me to secure a property that I knew was too good to pass up”

Lily Jones is the Director of Jones Real Estate Ltd, a business that she runs with her son Tex. But she’s much more than that. Lily is a compassionate landlord, a friend to her tenants, and a business person who puts people ahead of profits. We’re proud that she chose to seek SME finance through mcl finance and we’re so excited to be able to tell her story here.

Lily purchased her first investment property in London on her birthday in 2001. “This was a good omen”, she shared, and we tend to agree. Over the past two decades, Lily has built up her family business thanks to her skills as a ‘people person,’ her knack for spotting a great opportunity, getting a fantastic deal and turning properties around efficiently.

Jones Real Estate now owns some 16 properties across the Capital, ranging from simple rented apartments to larger HMOs. They’re currently working on their first assisted living premises, which involves their biggest investment yet.

These are exciting times for Jones Real Estate, but during our interview, it became clear that at the heart of Lily's passion is her tenants. These are the people who drive Jones Real Estate’s ambition and in turn, the overwhelming growth of the firm. Connecting to the humanity of her mission is what truly sets Lily and her team apart.

Everything she does is about her tenants. There’s the young mother she drove to the DIY store when she said she wanted to paint the bedroom she was renting from Lily. That tenant stayed for years because she felt at home, explained Lily, passionately.

Then there was the young man who left Lily a note when he ran out of cash and had to move back to his home country - “He could have left me in the lurch but instead, he left me the cash with a note, explaining why he had to leave, ” she added warmly.

Then there’s the story of an elderly, retired carer who had inherited a house from a heavily indebted client. The vulnerable woman was about to be fleeced by another unscrupulous buyer when Lily stepped in. “You don’t have to sell to me, I said, but please just explain to your solicitor what’s happening,” she reported. Lily is now buying the house for a fair price … and is also taking the woman hot meals every Sunday...

When Covid hit, Lily and her son found it much more difficult to find the funding needed to purchase properties. “I was literally scratching around for money - nobody was lending anymore. We had a bridging loan for a probate property but we didn’t quite have enough,” she explained. “That’s when I stumbled across mcl finance.”

“mcl finance’s SME finance allowed me to secure a property that I knew was too good to pass up,” Lily added. And she particularly liked our approach to customer service. “I like the communication I get from mcl finance.” added Lily. “The emails, notifications and reminders are always so positive and they make me smile.”

Lily is a great example of how success comes to people who are enterprising and who have integrity. “People used to look at me funny when I started out buying properties like I didn’t know what I was doing, but I just persevered.” And we’re so very pleased she did.

Thanks, Lily, for being one of our valued business partners and for telling us your story.

Jones Real Estate is a property investment company focusing on acquiring residential and commercial properties in locations with strong prospects for long-term growth.

Through over 30 years of experience investing in the London property market, the company’s directors have built a wide network and deep understanding of the industry. This is further underpinned by the efficient team and processes the company has established, therefore positioning Jones Real Estate to continue growing its reputation for acquiring properties with integrity and certainty.

JRE is well-positioned to become one of South East London’s top SME property investors and has a 2030 vision of acquiring a further £20m in real estate. The company prides itself on consistently establishing and executing deals and providing property where people love to call home.