Meet my Rich Friend, Ijeoma

Hello there!

I hope you have had an amazing month. I imagine that it wasn’t always easy. As we say in Nigeria, January has 60 days. Finally, you can heave a sigh of relief as the month has come to an end.       

Were you a part of the Grey Academy’s Intermediate Programme? (You missed out if you weren’t)

If you were, you will remember a lot of the gems that were dropped; one of them especially came from Olawale Ayilara when he visited the class. He said, “There is no amount of poverty that real estate cannot solve”. If you disagree with this notion, I bet it’s because you have not heard Ijeoma’s story.

My friend Ijeoma grew up in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State and was born to a mechanic father and a petty trader mum.  She had a difficult childhood as she watched her parents struggle to make ends meet and how this often put a strain on their marriage. Raising eight children under intense hardship is never easy. Why have 8 children under that condition?! you might ask. I thought the same thing too but I guess that is just another irony of life that we can never fully grasp.

I once sat with Ijeoma while she reminisced on her life growing up. She spoke about an experience that made her vow to get herself and her family out of poverty by all means. At the age of 13, she hawked fruits back and forth in her village. She recalled her first time selling to a family visiting from the United States, one of their gatemen had asked to buy some fruits and invited her into the compound, there she saw a girl her age whose parents owned the mansion she had just stepped into. It was like discovering a whole new world. The lights, the ambience, everything about it was so beautiful but so far out of her reach.  

10 years later, after her university education, She got posted to a real estate company in Lagos State for her NYSC. She began a role as an administrative assistant. There she learnt the ropes of the business. In three years, Ijeoma started her own real estate venture. She would always tell you that it was not an easy start. For every “yes” she ever got, there were most definitely a hundred “nos”. But today, with over 10 luxury cars won as incentives, a dream house in the heart of Lagos, a fat account balance and several other forms of investments, Ijeoma is living the life of her dreams.

When you meet Ijeoma for the first time, you would never imagine that she came from such humble beginnings. She is enigmatic and sophisticated in her carriage and use of words. When you ask how she managed to turn out so refined, she’d simply sigh and respond “real estate changed my life”.

I asked her to share some lessons learnt on her journey to attaining the kind of exponential growth that she has. Hear them in her own words:

Personal development: I’m always learning, always reading books. The human mind is capable of so much more than we use it for. One should never limit themselves. You also have to invest in every area of your life, including your appearance. Nobody will believe you can help them grow wealth if you do not look the part yourself.

Collaboration: Never work alone! Over the years, I have had to collaborate with professionals in other key aspects of marketing and even customer relations. Sometimes, I have had to also work with trusted and experienced realtors like me.  As long as you have value to also offer in return, most people would not mind collaborating with you.

Boldness: Not much can be achieved without confidence and a can-do spirit. One thing about me, if you show me the money, that’s where I’m headed.

Integrity: You have to earn your client’s trust. People don’t joke with money. Show that their interest is your primary focus.  Patience and a strong follow-up culture are also essential to survive as a realtor.   

Still in doubt as to what promise your real estate career holds for you? Always remember that our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we would have won if we were not scared of trying.

Be like Ijeoma, keep trying!

XOXO,

Miss Grey