Let's Talk About Realty

We’ve all heard the cliché: "He’s playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers." It’s a metaphor for foresight and strategy, but in the world of modern business, it’s becoming something deeper. It’s the difference between seeing a person and seeing a transaction. The sad reality is that everyone is selling something. We are all participants in an economy where making a living is the baseline requirement for survival. Yet, as humans, we possess an innate radar for "the pitch." We can feel when we are being managed, processed, or funnelled. So, how do we remove the "core element" - the transaction, from what we do? The Cost vs. Service Paradox When you meet a professional, they generally lean into one of two camps: The Cost-Centric: They focus on the price, the discount, or the "deal." They are playing checkers, looking for the quickest path to the end of the board. The Service-Centric: They focus ...

  I haven’t written in a while. That is a fact I am all too aware of. When a writer goes dark, the external world assumes the usual suspects: a packed schedule, a loss of "steam," or perhaps the arrival of some profound new knowledge that requires months of quiet percolation. But the truth is often less cinematic and much more human. The short answer is no; I didn’t run out of time, and I didn’t run out of ideas. I just wasn’t ready. The Judgmental Reflection Writing is one of the few activities that forces you to stand directly in front of a mirror. Not the kind of mirror you glance at to check your hair before a listing appointment or a meeting, but a raw, judgmental mirror. When you sit down to put thoughts to paper or fingers to keyboard, you are doing more than sharing information. You are laying yourself bare. You are taking the internal architecture of your mind and inviting the world to walk through it. We do this in the hope of resonance; we want someone to see the w...

 We’ve all been there. The late nights, the endless spreadsheets, the "one more thing" before we call it a day. You spend weeks, months, or even years crafting something. You refine the architectural lines, you obsess over the finishings, or you cultivate a product until it’s "perfect." Then you stand back, look at your creation, and the silence hits you. Whom did you build this for? The Onion Dilemma I recently spoke with a friend who poured his heart into growing onions. He grew a magnificent crop, but as he looked at his harvest, he realised the hardest part wasn't the soil or the water; it was the realisation that he now had to go out and find a market. He had the product, but he hadn't identified the person. In real estate, we see this constantly. We see developers break ground on luxury high-rises in a market screaming for affordable middle-class housing. We see homeowners over-capitalise on renovations that suit their specific, niche tastes but alien...

How does the big miss happen? Two people can watch the exact same thing and walk away with two completely different conclusions. One sees a golden opportunity, while the other just sees another news story. Often, the difference is as simple as having boots on the ground. In a world where information is rampant, we can easily find ourselves woefully misinformed. It’s not that we are ignorant; rather, the information is so varied that we become confused, wondering which source is actually true. Real estate can feel exactly like that. Not every conversation with an agent is about making a sale—and it shouldn’t be. But a good conversation can help you get accurate, localized information and develop a working relationship with someone who knows the market. Property isn’t always about finding the ‘best’ deal or the ‘cheapest’ option; it’s about identifying what works for your specific needs. So, before throwing around percentages or projecting future returns on investment, sit down for a fr...

I was speaking to a colleague recently about the importance of challenging ourselves and tackling the difficult things at work. But as we talked, another thought came to mind: When do we actually decide to post or write? Usually, we wait until we have something we deem "important" to say. We wait for the big milestones, the heavy industry insights, or the life-changing topics. But what happens to the rest of it? Think about everyday human conversation. The vast majority of what we talk about isn’t life-altering. It’s the "fluff"—the meaningless yet profoundly meaningful chats that only seem to matter when we reflect on them later. That "fluff" is the actual human experience, and we are better for it. So why do we lose that the second we sit down to write? In the professional world, we often strip away the human element to sound polished or efficient. But what is our work without it? What is a team meeting without those small moments of connection? In real ...

How many times has a colleague or friend mentioned a “difficult to imagine” opportunity, an industry to invest in, a project to back, and you hesitated? Someone talks about putting money into a particular sector for future gains; you nod, you stall… then the moment passes. Does that sound familiar? Life is full of these moments. You reassure yourself that next time you will jump in. But then again, you blink. Reassurances are comforting, but they do not move money, and they do not build wealth. You have heard the phrase, “You need to spend money to make money.” It is true, however, no future investment is risk-free, even property. So, when is the best time to buy? When is the best time to sell? That is the real question. Right now, in Zimbabwe, we are seeing a surge in cluster and townhouse developments. But it is crucial to understand not all developments are equal. That is a thought borrowed from  Animal Farm  by George Orwell: “All animals are equal, but some animals are mo...