A different kind of realtor

The millenials are taking over the world of business. Barely out of their teens, they are coming up with out-of-the box ideas and aggressively pursuing them. They are also changing traditional attitudes in business and at the workplace. They want immediate results when and how they like them. Emma Kaari reckons that while this attitude might seem like it is taking them places, it could be the very thing that comes to bite this generation of entrepreneurs in the back.

“I can’t say that they are wrong to want immediate results. What worked for me, though, was gradual growth. Being employed and the lessons that I picked up along the way have been instrumental in my success as an entrepreneur,” she says.

Emma worked at a bank for 11 years before finally leaving to run her property management company. At the mention of a property agent, the figure that springs to mind is that of an arrogant, harsh individual who will not hesitate to put a second padlock on your doors or bring down the doors altogether if you are a few days late in paying your rent. Emma, however, looks nothing like that. Instead, she cuts a figure of warmth and says that the public’s opinion of property agents is misguided.

 “We are human. We understand that life can change in an instant. Most of the time, a lot of things go wrong because tenants do not communicate in good time,” she defends her ilk.

Her tip for lessened heartache to tenants?

 “Read your lease and look at the fine print so that you understand what you are consenting to before signing on the dotted line. If you encounter problems paying your rent, communicate in time.” 

STAYING AHEAD

Emma knew long before she started her job at the bank that she wanted to start a business in the property management field. Her business idea was spurred by her own terrible experience with an agent.

“In 2003, just after getting my first job, I tried to get a house in Pangani in Nairobi through an agent and I ended up losing money after paying for a non-existent house.”

Her motivation at the time was to eliminate the crooks in the real estate business, to bring in some professionalism. But she knew very little about running a business so she took on her first job as a clerk at a regional bank.

“After two years of listening and watching, I felt ready enough to start my own business on the side. I pitched the idea to my husband James and he agreed to partner with me,” she recalls.

The duo didn’t have any capital to begin with so they waited for their yearly bonuses which they used to register a company, set up a small office and employ two people. Then they started talking to friends and family members who had properties around the city. The next nine years were a juggle between her job and the start-up, and when she had her children, motherhood.

“The first time I seriously considered quitting to run the business full-time was when I had my secondborn in 2012. But I was too afraid of the unknown so I held on for two more years.”

 In 2014, she finally quit to run the business full-time. Her husband remains gainfully employed.

Her biggest challenge as an entrepreneur has been employee turnover. Her best employees often get poached by bigger companies.

 “This is a constant struggle. Every day, I wake up thinking of ways to keep my employees happy,” she says.

What does she do different from the competition?

 “I try not to just fill houses. I vet my tenants. Each time a new client walks in, we have a “know your tenant” session. This is something that I picked up from my job at the bank. If you do not pass the vetting then we can’t give you a lease. This is my own way of community policing, helping keep communities safe.”

Currently, she heads a team of 11 permanent staff. Her medium-term goal is to employ even more people. Ultimately though, she wants to go into real estate development, and from the look of things, she is well on her way to achieving her goal.

 Emma’s advice 

• Customer service is the most valuable asset in business.

•  In business, you deliver through people. It is up to you to keep your team motivated.

•  Her company has a culture where they have a value of the month which the team works by. These values, she has noticed, stick way past the prescribed month.

•  There is power in mentorship. She is an alumnus of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Entrepreneurs Program.