Category: Building & Properties

Our Reporter

Many of us think of the real estate industry as a volatile industry to get involved in. It is a place where success is rarely determined by the person, but rather the market that surrounds housing.

In addition, what little we know about flipping houses comes down to the location of the property, but how can big data be useful for the real estate industry? Jesse Burrell has unlocked that secret. Unlike many others, Jesse Burrell has made a name for himself in this industry and found success by channeling the power of big data.

“If you are a real estate investor or a house flipper, my business is perfect to help you. I have helped flip over 1000 houses and a sought-out keynote speaker on entrepreneurship.” Jesse exclaims.

Jesse Burrell, better known as the REI Data King, is a RealEstate Investor who uses data to help others flip houses. Jesse’s success not only has created opportunities for himself, but he has also enabled other real estate companies to be successful as well. He did all of this before the age of 30, and by the time he was 30, he was already a multimillionaire who had established himself within the real estate industry. His success is based on his ability to understand data and use it to understand the housing market.

“I am also known as the REI Data King and I have earned this title by using my data company to help flip houses. I am a 10+ year entrepreneur, an active investor in multiple startup companies, an owner of a multi-million dollar data company, and have created $40 million in pipeline development projects. I have established huge credibility within the REI community by creating software solutions for real estate companies.” Explains Jesse.

Jesse hopes that his success can be used to inspire other people to do the same. He achieved what he did by believing in data and what it could do for his business. Jesse’s experiences have allowed him to have financial freedom and he hopes to give others the same. In addition to that, he hopes to act as a resource to help others with their own financial literacy to give people the opportunity to achieve the same results that he has.

READ ALSO: ‘Why real estate thrives in a pandemic’

“I made a name for myself in the Real Estate Industry by creating software solutions for real estate investors. I consider myself a leader and trainer in helping people find their own paths to financial freedom as I did. I hope to create and implement financial literacy for anyone who comes across my path.” Jesse says.

Despite the success that Jesse has now, it was not easy for him to get started. As with many other businesses, Jesse went through a period of trial and error before he reached his final outcome. He began his venture into business without any money and failed numerous times. Jesse got through these hard times by adjusting his mindset. He recommends that anyone who is trying to start their own business to have the right kind of mindset in order to get through the difficult starting point of business life.

“I tried getting numerous startups going in my 20’s. I failed a lot, and I started with absolutely no money. The way I got through it all was by readjusting my mindset and creating an entrepreneurial mindset.” Recounts Jesse.

By Gbenga Bada

The Chairman of Property World Africa Network (PWAN Group), Dr. Augustine Onwumere has said that his company was prepared to reduce the prevailing housing deficit in the country to the barest minimum.

Dr Onwumere, who presides over more than 25 affiliates under the group, gave the assurance at the groundbreaking ceremony of Max Assets Phase 1, Epe, Lagos, the group’s newest exquisite estate powered by PWAN Max Business Concerns.

The Group’s Chairman, however, added that his firm would work jointly with various governments and host communities to actualise the target.

“We are going to partner with the government to get everything that we need here. We are already partnering with the community that sold the land to us, and we are not going to stop,” he said.

Prior to the groundbreaking exercise, the Chairman said: “It is by God’s grace, mercy and love that we are here; because this is an opportunity to witness the birth of a new estate and the birth of a new opportunity.

“What we are doing now has already been ordained by God; our own part is to fulfill the physical aspect. God has blessed the work on our hands that when you tell people about the plots you will sell. If you share the flyers or speak about the plots, people will answer and buy.”

Max Assets Phase 1 is strategically located along Epe-Ikorodu Expressway, just a few minutes’ drive away from Lekki Free Trade Zone. It sits on exceedingly dry land and arable rolling planes. Part of the attraction the location holds for prospective investors is the glimpse it offers into the rich cultural values of the Epe people.

READ ALSO: Be focused, dedicated, realtor urges youths

Besides, Max Assets is considered the toast of property investors considering its high chances of a quick return on investment, cheap access to all parts of Lagos and easy passage for people travelling out of the state.

Business Development Manager of PWAN Max, Franklin Nwaigwe, who also spoke at the event, explained: “We all know that Epe is one of the fastest developing locations in Lagos State, so we thought deeply about it that a lot of infrastructures is coming to this place. We also noted that with its serene environment, and rich cultural values, many people will come to stay here; looking at a whole lot of things and notable social amenities.

By Okwy Iroegbu­Chikezie

An upscale player in the real estate sector in the South East and Lagos area has called on the government to check the high cost of land acquisition and documentation.

He said many people are not able to live in proper and adequate houses because the cost and processes that go into land matters are enormous.

He lamented that the same challenge encountered in Lagos where land is a highly-priced resource and all the encumbrances that discourage housing development is also present in the Southeast area of the nation.

He said a typical developer is encumbered by challenges in land acquisition and documentation. CEO, ESSO Properties Limited, Smith Sosochukwu Ezenagu who plays largely in Anambra, Enugu and Lagos state in the upscale sector of housing development says the panacea for massive housing development for all strata of the populace is the liberisation of the documentation and the reduction on charges on land procurement, registration and associated fees. Some of his prime estates in Awka are Berry Prime and Sunray estate.

He spoke on the sideline of the award of Patriotic Personality and Corporate Investments Leadership Category by the League of Africa Development Students (LEADS Africa) in Lagos for the ingenuity and creativity he has brought into the real sector.

Ezenagu who plays in the GRA areas of Awka and Enugu the Anambra and Enugu state capitals and the Lekki area in an interview with The Nation Lagos said the long gestation period for land documentation for developers and other operators in the sector has created an avenue for dubious activities and scams with several people defrauded in the process.

READ ALSO: Estate developers to curb youth restiveness

He said: “The process also is increasingly high, which affects the cost of land, making it hard for the low-income earners to get involved in land purchases and homeownership. This in a way has also made many delay in being players in the real estate sector by either buying land or houses. For example, why will it cost as much as N1.2million to process C of O of the land of N 5million? Government at all strata must find a way of liberalising this important sector if our quest for decent and affordable housing must be achieved.”

He, however, pledged that their houses will ever remain competitive and easier for prospective residents and others to own houses of their own. He also further asked the government to look for ways of curbing the high cost of building materials especially cement which is a major component of construction in the county.

He decried the recent astronomical increase in the cost of cement and asked basic infrastructure be provided to aid manufacturers incur less cost which will translate to a cheaper cost of products and less expensive houses.

By Adeola Ogunlade

A leading Real Estate company, Landwey, has concluded plans to open Nigeria’s first ever wellness and polo city on April 3 in Lagos.

The city named “Isimi Lagos”, according to the firm, is an ode to the peace of mind it promises to give to future residents.

The Managing Director of LandWey, Olawale Ayilara, told reporters that Isimi Lagos holds the promise of countless ways to enjoy an active and beautifully diverse lifestyle within nature; the perfect meeting point of technology and architecture.

He said that nothing beats the picturesque scenery of the city, and residents would be privy to the 360 panoramic view of nature at its finest.

He said that residents of the majestic city would not only enjoy quality time away from the bustle of Lagos but get the gift of nature and the world around them to explore, all the while investing in their physical and emotional well-being.

He explained further the idyll of the city is punctuated by an all-natural lake which can be used for everything from kayaking to family picnics, and residents who have dreamed of destination weddings can take advantage of the waterfront which makes for the perfect wedding venue.

Ayilara posited that fine dining restaurants in the city make for the most exquisite dining experience, set to satisfy even the most sophisticated palates, with organic ingredients freshly harvested from the farm.

Aside an extensive array of amenities, the city offers a range of home styles, and residents can choose the best suited home for them.

He asserted a commercial city like Lagos, finding a place that offers green and sustainable living creates the ideal escape for the nature-loving individual. Isimi Lagos is family friendly with several outdoorsy features that promotes family bonding.

He said: “Families will enjoy outdoor activities like being able to pick their fruits and vegetables from the farm, while the petting zoo is a unique feature within the ranch that is guaranteed to be the children’s favourite.

“A utopia for sports lovers, the city boasts of a standard polo turf with a stable that houses some of the world’s best horses, and being surrounded by kilometers of riding trails provides a state-of-the-art riding experience.

” The golf course is certain to thrill both the pros and the beginners, and would make residents fall in love with the game’.

“Sophisticated meeting rooms and workspaces situated within the tech valley are equipped with high-speed internet and uninterrupted power to boost efficiency of the residents, and the sheer elegance of these spaces make them the perfect place to harness intellectual capacity, fueled by the peace that abounds around”.

Ayilara added that in character with the overarching theme of wellness, the city would adopt unorthodox means of commute; providing eco-friendly means of transportation such as hybrid electric vehicles and bicycles – and with the wide road networks within the city, transporting is a thrill. For more unconventional means of transport, the city sports a marina and a helipad, for residents who would rather fly or cruise.

“Landwey is known for innovative and disruptive housing solutions, understanding the clients’ needs and then surpassing their expectations. With each project, Landwey redefines what home should be, look like and feel like, and with Isimi Lagos, the organization is set to take “wellness” to an astronomical new level”, he said.

By Olaitan Ganiu

To celebrate the New Year, Redbrick Homes, the developer of Amen Estate has partnered with the celebrity couple, Funke Akindele-Bello and JJC Skillz on the latest flick, ‘Omo Ghetto 2’.

The firm offered free movie tickets for its customers to watch Omo Ghetto Saga, a 2020 Nigerian gangster comedy film.

‘Omo Ghetto the Saga’ is a 2020 Nigerian gangster comedy film. The film stars Funke Akindele, Nancy Isime, and Eniola Badmus in the lead roles. This was the second film in the Omo Ghetto franchise and it was also the sequel to the 2010 trilogy film Omo Ghetto.

The movie follows the life of Lefty (Funke Akindele-Bello) and her friends, Chummy Choko (Chioma Akpotha), Busty (Eniola Badmus), Nikky (Bimbo Thomas) in Askamaya Ghetto.

READ ALSO: Chioma Akpotha joins Funke Akindele’s Omo Ghetto set

Speaking at the premiere of the movie premiere at Ebonylife Place over the weekend, Redbrick Homes Management said the idea is to bring the residents together to get to know each other better.

“It is important to encourage Nigerians to support Nigerian made movie especially a movie that showcases the major Nigerian languages; Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa. Some residents and followers will also win Food Hampers, Fruit Hampers, Foodstuff and Recharge cards.”

The firm, however, promised to be partnering with more new movie producers and directors.

Our Reporter

Running a successful real estate marketing company doesn’t rely on any abracadabra but on time-honoured principles of hard work, persistence and integrity. This was according to Bridget Adeyemi, one of the outstanding female figures in the Nigerian property market.

Adeyemi and her husband joint owners and directors of the award-winning Lekkiajahikoyi Property Investment Limited. Citing her company as an example and drawing from her experience of marketing in the real estate sector, she explained: “We were the first real estate company to post houses for sale on Instagram. Our sales statistics bear us out on the use of this innovative approach to marketing property.

Secondly, we took dedication and consistency as our watchwords. We do only real estate and it’s a tough business enough to take all of our time and attention. We also improve on strategy regularly. That is to tell you that we are innovative in our thinking. And we have passion for what we do; anyway, it was that passion that motivated us to go into real estate business in the first place.”

According to her, it is no fluke then that Lekkiajahikoyi Property Investment Limited is the leading real estate marketing company in Nigeria. “We are not relenting in our effort and we do not leave any stone unturned in our marketing effort. For instance, we have the highest number of followers on Instagram for a property marketing company,” she said.

The Adeyemis, both alumni of University of Lagos where they earned bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, have taken their company to the height of property marketing winning in the process the 2018 Young Entrepreneurs Award for Best Real Estate Marketing Company and 2020 GMYT Academy Award for Real Estate.

Speaking further, Bridget Adeyemi offered an advice: “One of the lessons we have learnt running Lekkiajahikoyi Property Investment Limited is that as an entrepreneur, you need to give yourself and your business time to develop, while in the meantime, you continue to strengthen the foundation by being diligent and consistent.”

The CEO of Adloyalty Business Network, Dr Freeman Osonuga, has been named West African person of 2020.

The executive delegates of The West African Youth Council (WAYC) conferred the honour on him during a visit to the Lekki headquarters of the firm.

They also awarded him a Nelson Mandela Leadership Award for Excellence & Integrity.

WAYC was established as a youth arm of ECOWAS commission in 2014 to serve as commanding height of all youth movements in West Africa with the mandate to minimise the demanding challenges of youths to discharge efficient service delivery as well as engage and promote regional economic corporation and integrations between member countries.

The Nelson Mandela Leadership award celebrates excellence in leadership and characters of people with reputable antecedents.

Osonuga was chosen for the West African Person of 2020 because of his passion for youth empowerment, provision of affordable homeownership schemes and proven commitment to economic empowerment and support for the growth of young people across the West African borders and beyond.

The award ceremony was attended by Executives of WAYC, including Amb. Agbaje Wasiu (Country representative), Amb Obasa Taofeeq, Amb. Ogunariwo Oluwaseun (Media Rep) and Amb. Tunde Jacobs. Amb. Seun Ologun William, who is the President of the ECOWAS Youth Council was not physically present.

William, in his virtual speech, said: “We salute your great effort as a Nigerian Medical Doctor, a real estate entrepreneur, and the chief executive officer of Adloyalty Business Network.

“We commend your leadership dexterity towards young people and their development. As a high-value business executive whose name is synonymous with integrity, incorruptible track records of excellent integrity in nation-building, outstanding resourcefulness, and corporate productivity.”

The country representative stated that the WAYC is proud of Osonuga and commended his exemplary lifestyle as a youth in this generation.

Osonuga expressed gratitude for the award and challenged youths to break boundaries and be exceptional in their day to day activities.

Our Reporter

The Caribbean country of Grenada is fast becoming a darling amongst African investors looking for a powerful second passport to access global business and travel.

Through its citizenship-by-investment programme, Grenada is offering wealthy Nigerians a chance to acquire a powerful second passport as a benefit for purchasing a unit of its most popular real estate project: Kimpton Kawana Bay Resort.

The Grenadian passport is a hot favorite amongst wealthy Africans as it allows holders visa-free travel access to 143 countries, including the UK, China, Russia, Singapore and EU Schengen zone.

“The Caribbean country is keen on becoming an economic powerhouse, with its citizenship-by-investment programme just one of the many programmes designed to grow its economy by boosting FDI.” Says Paul Williams, CEO of La Vida Golden Visas, a London-based firm which helps wealthy Africans acquire second Passports.

“Its rich culture, economic and political stability, low crime rate, tax benefits, citizenship that can be passed on to future generations and the ability to live and work in the United States via the E-2 Visa category make it most alluring
for Africans. And as other Nigerians have experienced, owning a unit of the magnificent Kimpton Kawana Bay resort allows the investor to include up to 4 dependents across 4 generations in one citizenship application”, he adds.

Heralded by Forbes as one of the most anticipated luxury openings in 2021, Kimpton Kawana Bay will feature an infinity-edge pool, state-of-the-art gym and spa facilities, exquisite fine dining restaurant, roof-top bar, beach bar, lounge with terrace and water sports facilities. The resort will be operated by an internationally recognised hotel brand – Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the largest hotel groups in the world.

Now selling with title deeded studios and suites for a minimum investment of USD220,000, this luxury 5-star resort offers a projected rental income of 3-5% through a transparent revenue-sharing model, personal accommodation usage of up to 2 weeks with zero annual out of pocket fees. It operates a hassle-free ownership model for potential buyers who can choose to disinvest and recoup their initial investment after 5 years should they require whilst retaining their Grenadian citizenship.

“What makes Grenadian citizenship very interesting is that it does not require holders of its passport to live in the country. This means you can live wherever you desire as your business and personal life dictates- unlike other residency programmes.” Paul Williams concludes.

Our Reporter

As a top 3% realtor in the nation, Gogo Bethke knows a thing or two about success. With over $75 million in production, 70,000 followers on social media, an international team of over 300 agents, and a social media marketing course called Gogo’sBootcamp, Gogo prides herself in having achieved the American Dream. However, she didn’t get there overnight. “I came to the U.S. in 2003 by myself,” she explains. “I left my whole family… parents, sister, uncles, cousins, everybody back home. I came for the American Dream.”

Gogo’s journey was sparked by an unlikely source of inspiration: Eddie Murphy. Growing up in communist Romania, she had little to no access to the Western world. But after the fall of the communist regime, Gogo’s first exposure to the land of opportunity came in the form of the movie 48 Hours starring Murphy. She recalls, “Even at eight years old, not knowing what America was, I remember saying to myself, ‘I’m going to go wherever that man is because I thought he was so happy because of where he was at.’ And then fast forward, of course, the Universe works. You set a goal either consciously or unconsciously, the Universe will figure out the how.”\

REALS ALSO: Lagos to host real estate market conference

Today, Gogo is known as the social media queen of real estate. Recently voted number one in the state of Michigan and also in Detroit by PropertySpark, she is passionate about sharing her knowledge with other realtors and business owners. Having built her business from the ground up, Gogo emphasizes the importance of taking advantage of the opportunities one has been given. She says, “You can do whatever you want in this country. In Romania, it matters how much money you have, it matters who your parents are, it matters who you know.”

She continues, “Here, it doesn’t. It doesn’t matter what nationality you are or if you’re a man or a woman. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor. It doesn’t matter. Everybody’s equal and you have the same playing field.”

Gogo travels and speaks internationally about the power of social media marketing in real estate. She also offers an online course, Gogo’s Bootcamp, which provides agents with tried-and-true knowledge on how to build a brand and how to generate leads organically. To learn more about her, follow along on Instagram

Our Reporter

In a shifting new world where bravery is adequately rewarded, Alex Saenz’s story makes him stand out. He was still a teenager when he made his first return from flipping a property. “I was 19 when I closed my first real estate deal,” he says.“In 2016, still, at the age of 19, I closed 12 real estate wholesale deals for $120,000 in revenue. Keeping living expenses low, I invested nearly everything back into the business. I hired two sales guys to help hunt down more real estate deals, by 2017, the real estate company grew to five total team members!”

Alex has not looked back since then, working on building a multi-million realty before his 22nd birthday. “In 2017, my company closed 62 deals for $615,000 in revenue with more than 60% profit margins,” he says. “This was all done at 20-year-old. In 2018, being 21, I continued to grow my real estate company and co-founded ALL IN ENTREPRENEURS with my partners Carlos Reyes and Sal Shakir. In 2018, over 100 deals were closed, and it was the first 7 figure year in business and I was only 21. Fast forward to 2020, I have closed over 300+ deals with my seven-figure real estate acquisition firm.”

READ ALSO: Realtors, developers lament financing gaps on projects

Detailing what has made him a standout in his industry at such a young age, Alex says: “By taking a concept in real estate called wholesaling and taking it from a hobby, like most in the industry were doing and scaling it to 7 figures. Wholesaling real estate was a hobby to many, most top investors were doing $10-20k a month. I scaled the business to $100k a month consistently in less than three years.”

His presence has also expanded to teaching other people about his methods and it is a passion that he says is rooted in trackable success. “I achieved success and then went online to share with others,” Alex says.“Not like most Instapreneurs where they teach first, I went through the process and teach others how to with real knowledge and experience.”