Michael Olaiya

1. For those meeting you for the first time, can you introduce yourself and tell us what PRISMCHECK UK is all about?

PRISMCHECK UK is an asset acquisition management company offering global asset acquisition services to private clients and corporate organisations alike. We pride ourselves in helping our clients cultivate the right discipline around their money and build a truly global asset portfolio (GAP) with focus on real estate. For over 16 years, we have helped our clients both in the UK and Nigeria achieve property portfolio value in 7 digits.

2. What criteria do you use to select the properties you invest in or recommend to your clients?

The primary driver is the requirements set which we help our clients come up with. During our Portfolio Building Consultation (PBC) session, we assist our clients to think broadly about their wealth goals and how properties can be structured into this plan. What emerges is a bespoke GAP strategy which in turn drives the criteria used in selecting the properties. Secondly, we have access through our network to a huge inventory of investment-grade properties that would match what our clients are looking for. 

3. Can you walk us through your full investment model? What does PRISMCHECK help clients with from property sourcing to development, funding, and end-to-end support?

Following the PBC session with the client, we use a proprietary 7-step process which covers all aspects of the acquisition experience. This model creates transparency and makes the clients experience memorable. With a 5 star Customer Experience team driving every step of the process, the client gets a touch of excellence and is treated like a king. This is then augmented with an amazing investorHub app which the client uses to monitor the entire journey. We have workflows and automations built into the app which notifies the client when they need to perform any task or answer any questions. The secure app is used to manage the entire end-2-end process from compliance (KYC/AML) checks to viewing bespoke videos and photos of the property. 

4. What types of returns can investors typically expect, and what is the usual timeline for seeing those returns?

From experience, we have realised that investors have different factors driving their choices. Some are interested in cashflow while others are interested in long term growth and yet others on location not as a function of the latter. We deliver any of this for our clients. To give you an idea of what we have achieved for our clients in the past. A client who invested $49,000 for a US property through us in 2014 sold the same property 9 years later for $160,000. Another one recently invested in the UK just under £400,000 in 2021 has since seen a capital growth of £85,000 as at November 2024 when we took the audit. He also enjoys close to £20,000 in annual rental income. 

5. Tell us about one of your recent projects. Where was it located, what made it a strong opportunity, and how did investors benefit?

Apart from our GAP building services for our clients, we are also involved in facilitating property development and investment opportunities. For clients who simply want their money to work for them, we engage in property projects as again property portfolio building. For those clients, they can expect to see between 10 - 25% return on their capital employed. A recent project located in the midlands (UK) saw us taking the unfinished new build property from that state the original builder got all the way to the finish line with. We were able to solve the cash-strapped problem for that builder and our investors benefited from decent return on their money which they wouldn’t get from any bank in the UK 

6. What are the biggest mistakes Nigerians make when trying to invest in UK property — and how does PRISMCHECK help them avoid these pitfalls?

Some of the biggest mistakes Nigerians make are trying to do it alone or trying to get a friend or family member who knows nothing about the UK property market to help them. Not long ago, I heard about a potential client who chose to work with his cousin here to help him get a property. He sent about £70,000 initially. After several months, no property surfaced, and he then struggled to get his money back. Working with a partner like PRISMCHECK UK is obviously a better option. We are effective and efficient. Our operations are driven by compliant-processes and technology, not to mention over 16 years of experience and market knowledge. 

7. What is the minimum entry point for someone who wants to begin investing with Outreach?

For several years, most of our clients have been high net worth individuals who can spend up to £1m in UK real estate. However, thank God for the latest product we recently launched, called Real Estate Asset Property (REAP) UK Fractional Property Ownership (FPO). Simply called REAP UK FPO. We have teamed up with notable institutions such as a law firm in Nigeria and a notable banking institution to bring this opportunity to Nigerians resident in Nigeria with an entry point of N5m (about £2,500) to become a global property investor. This opportunity is also available for UK residents starting with £5,000. 

8. Do investors need to be physically present in the UK to start, or can everything be handled remotely?

Our operations make it possible for clients to invest in the UK property market without being physically present in the UK. Most of our HNI clients are too busy to be viewing properties all over the place. They view the properties remotely and make their choice trusting that we will be their eyes and legs on the ground here in the UK and we have never failed once.

9. How do you ensure transparency and protect investor funds throughout each project?

For the property portfolio transactions, we don’t handle investor funds. The conveyancing process is handled by the solicitors. For the property project transaction, the investors' funds are protected by iron-clad contracts that shield their capital adequately. All risk exposures are clearly explained to the client and because of the competencies we employ, these risks are adequately mitigated.

10. What partnerships or networks does PRISMCHECK leverage — in the UK or Nigeria — to ensure credibility, compliance, and access to the right opportunities?

The entire value chain we work within is clearly mapped and transparent. And we continue to develop new partnerships where needed. In delivering our value proposition to our clients, standard and compliant processes are followed with the appropriate actors performing their professional duties along the value chain. On the business development side, we recently flagged off a sales partnership program for competent individuals and firms. On the business operations front, I mentioned earlier that we recently partnered with a law firm and a notable bank in Nigeria to ensure smooth running of our fulfillment service while ensuring an excellent customer experience. I must add that we are always open to mutually-beneficial partnerships. 

11. What areas of the UK are currently most attractive for Nigerian and diaspora investors, and why?

(Extra question from your earlier list that we hadn’t used — very investor-focused and positions her as knowledgeable.)

Investors differ - we have worked with an investor that wanted a property in the highly respected area of surrey and worked with another investor whose budget is only £50,000 less than 10% of what we had to work with the other client. Location is driven by taste, budget and appetite for returns. Multiple areas in the UK offer these opportunities. What we are known for is finding those opportunities that match the specifications of our client. 

12. For anyone interested in working with PRISMCHECK UK, how can they reach you or get started?

I can be reached via my email, michael@prismcheck.com or contact number +447525857164, +447703982175. You can also use the “contact us form” on our website, www.prismcheck.com or better still complete an investor interest form on gapinvestorhub.com and if you would like to manage the property you acquire through us or your existing property portfolio using a smart portfolio feature on our app, you can download our personal finance app from Appstore or Playstore. Visit mygaphub.com to download this app.