Please introduce yourself and tell us more about your background?

My name is Jennifer Umoke. I’m 21 and I’m the founder of Totally Real Estate. A real estate Vlog that helps Nigerians make profitable real estate investments.

I’ve been able to garner valuable experiences in the real estate sector as an employee and the social/digital marketing space as an entrepreneur. My experiences in these sectors combined influenced the setting up of Totally Real Estate.

You’re an Entrepreneur, what does your business entails?

I’m a real estate Vlogger first. The most important and valuable part of my business is helping people make fully informed decisions about property investments within Nigeria. Due to this, the responsibility falls on my firm to advise and guide any prospective investor who comes our way to make the most profitable real estate investment acquisition in terms of equity and cash flow. So, we have as our partners, some of the most trusted real estate developers in Nigeria, whom potential investors can patronize and be happy they did.

We also connect owners of viable properties who want to sell to investors who need these properties.

From first time home owners to property sellers to individuals with an already vast real estate portfolio looking to acquire more or make the existing ones more profitable, we have a package that suits everyone.

You’re quite and yet talented, where did you get your inspiration?

I worked in a real estate firm for quite a while and also veered into real estate network marketing when I took the entrepreneurial plunge.

I noticed a flaw in the market, the pool of potential buyers are usually scared to invest due to the kind of terrain that is obtainable in Nigeria.

You have to deal with fraudulent agents, omonile wahala and outright scammers if you are looking to buy property in Nigeria especially Lagos. This scares away a lot of people from reaping the bountiful rewards that real estate in Nigeria has to offer.

Potential investors have different questions that are begging to be answered but majority of what they get is “buy this property” nobody is answering the why’s, the how’s and the what’s are not being answered.

So I took it upon myself to bridge the knowledge gap that separates average people from increasing their networth through real estate.

Real estate knowledge is practical. Nigerian real estate is very practical. It’s not something you can read in a book. You need someone who knows the way to show you how it’s done.

So I speak to captains of the real estate industry in Nigeria, smart investors and the major players to find out from them the hidden strategies that aren’t readily available to everyone.

Together with my experience so far in real estate and online media, I am able to share this knowledge to as many people as possible.

How were able to raise fund for your business?

I started my business on a shoestring budget.

I had a phone, my laptop and data.

Using social media I connected with people who could contribute to the content of the vlog.

I handle the content presentation, the online presence, marketing, inquiries, customer service .

I partnered with someone who could film and edit the videos.

And owning a YouTube Vlog is totally free!

It was a matter of using what was readily available.

The vision was heavy on my mind and I just had to start. I wasn’t looking to be perfect, I just needed for my voice and my message to be heard.

How do you advertise your business?

I advertise the vlog using social media platforms (Facebook & IG).

What are the challenges you’ve encountered while running your?

Phew! This one is hard.

The first major issue I had was getting someone to partner with me to find the videos, paying for this service would have been too much for the startup to afford, but I met my exceptional partner, Prayer Osunde of God’s Throne Media and that actually marked the start of the business proper.

The next thing is starting motivated. When you are a startup founder, there’s so much joy and happiness in you when you see your idea come to life.

As the days go by, you see its not all rosy. You have to stay consistent, you have to devote time to the business.. and it might not even bring you money in the early days..

So finding the motivation to keep going even when you don’t feel like is a huge challenge and if you can overcome it you’re good.

The next challenge is staying up to the date with the trends in both the digital marketing and real estate space. It’s offline marries online in the case of my business, so I always have to be in the know when something is happening in both worlds in order to stay relevant.

How does it feel being the boss?

It’s a huge responsibility. It could overwhelm you sometimes if you don’t find the right balance.

I’ve come to know that putting God first, family next and then work, keeps things in check. Else, you’d just be a lab rat.

Where do you see your brand in 5 years?

In 5 years, Totally Real Estate will be the gatekeepers of the Nigerian real estate industry to foreign investors. We will broker at least 40% of the major property deals within Nigeria.

We will also have set up a charity arm of the business for the “1 house, 1 Nigerian” vision.

Below is a short video of Jennifer ‘s Real Estate Vlogging.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7gF6kG_iXKjsNrUxBaX9uQ