Real estate business has survival secrets, says Natty CTS Agency boss
Managing Director and CEO of Natty CTS Agency, one of the dynamic property mart and development companies in Lagos, Oladeebo Olanrewaju Ismail, has offered aspiring realtors tips on how to be competitive in the real estate niche in Nigeria.
Citing instances from his company, he said: “There are a lot of people selling the same thing (houses) we are selling, but Natty CTS maintained its competitive edge in price and product quality, ensuring that we stand out from others.”
He said further: “For example, Natty CTS Agency gives customers opportunities of buying with an instalment plan of one to five years payment.”
In the same breath, he debunked claims that luxury houses are out of reach of buyers.
His words: “Luxury houses are affordable, especially the one from Natty CTS Agency. There is no point in building a house that people cannot buy because of its price. That is why we accept payment plans.”
On why some real estate marketers or developers seem to focus or market exclusively luxury houses, he offered an explanation thus: “Some real estate companies, including Natty CTS Agency, took to develop properties that are unique in design and have fixtures and fittings that meet the high-taste clients.”
On the major challenges of running a real estate business in Nigeria, he offered some insights.
“One of the major challenges is selling or marketing a luxury property. To scale this hurdle, we usually conduct sales promo. Sometimes, we undertake sponsored advert. We also use brand ambassadorship to market them.”
The second big challenge, he avowed, is inadequate capital.
“At times, to get banks to release loan to finance or to start the project takes a lot of effort; without an existing good relationship or tangible collateral, banks might decline you loan,” he explained.
