KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — At a glance, Faizul Ridzuan doesn’t fill the typical description of what makes a property tycoon.

The bespectacled 33-year-old blends into the crowd, has a penchant for casual get-ups that don’t cost too much and he doesn’t drive a fancy car.

But unlike most of his peers who are still struggling to save enough money to put down for their first house, the banker by trade has already signed more than 40 properties under his name over the past decade.

Starting at the age of 24 with just RM2,000 in his bank account, he eschewed the mantra of “location, location, location” and took the path less taken in the subsidiary market, where he made his ringgit stretch as far as it could.

Faizul has since written a bestseller — WTF? 23 properties by 30 — detailing his exploits in the industry, become a regular face on the property investment speaking circuit and most recently quit his day job to start a business helping others realise their property investment dreams.

In his own words, he shares his journey from salaryman to property guru: