 You know and I think you mentioned something so important that they aren't a lot of young people in the real estate game And also when I change that you know, I've seen some of the peers that I've had they got into real estate And then they sort of lifted so I want to you know Be that person to break the glass ceiling and also be a successful realtor at a very young age And also change the narrative in our country. We don't need real estate agents that are 50 years old and are boring You know these days you have upcoming young people Good day and welcome back to the first time home by a show. I'm your host Estie class and this evening I am chatting to a young driven ambitious Resilient man poor water. Also before we even continue with this amazing show We have amazing content coming to you live every weekday this week We've got some until guacamalo with the private property podcast That's Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. And of course in Bali comes to you with the agricultural and farming Podcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 8 p.m. And then this gorgeous location where we are right now We'll also feature on Chad the Viruses show the home shopper show every Monday and Friday at 8 p.m It's something you do not want to miss but without further ado this young man with me this evening shares His story and his journey of how he landed this gorgeous 18 million rand penthouse in the center of Johannesburg Santon the city of gold firstly happy belated birthday important. Thank you so much Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day. I know you're very busy man Do you know spend the time with us and firstly welcoming us into this gorgeous penthouse? I want to find out and poor from you. How did all of this start? You know this is an absolutely amazing journey, and I'm sure there's been ups and downs on this journey for you So how did you land this? Listing as a young agent. Sorry. Yeah, so this started last year I was waiting for another company and I made my boss day Sandra from urban train properties and I approached her because I've always watched million dollar listings in New York And I said, you know what? I want to sell like fabulous multi-million rand properties And when I saw I said, can you please mean to me? I'd like to get into the property space and she ended up offering me a job with her So I took the opportunity and I think I started about three months ago, and this was actually my very first listing I was looking at different listings around this area and I came across this beautiful one I was like, I need to approach the owner and luckily the owner said yes to me So that's how I ended this 18 million rand listing and how has that been because I know You know you said you watched I feel like luxury real estate is so it's such a particular market Why do you choose that? I mean, I am a fan of the good things in life You know, I've always been that kid is bougie and I always love the good things You know, I'm I didn't grow up, you know around the lots of money or very privileged But I always knew like I want to get into luxury and I love luxury and also to me as an entrepreneur And as a young person, I think breaking the ceiling has always been important to me Cementing myself in spaces that were not necessarily meant for us young people or for us black people So that has always inspired me to get into luxury and to get into those high-network spaces Because I truly believe that you can become whatever you dream of being 100% listen We're all about manifesting. Yes, just sitting here already in this apartment. I'm manifesting it, you know On your tweet a lot of people were saying I want to win the lotto win the power ball to you know afford this But I honestly hope that a lot of young people such as ourselves, you know jump into the market and not only the property market But you're doing a lot of other things, you know in vents your your entrepreneur Kind of you're very broad like I said, you're doing a little bit of everything And in order for us to achieve these goals to sit in a house like this and call it your own We need to you know do a little bit of everything I want to find out from you and for you from you're not from Johannesburg A little bit about your journey where you come from and where you are now So originally I was born in Kimberly and then I lost my dad a very young age Unfortunately, criminal suicide, so we had to move to the free state with my mom and we lived there for a few years As I said, we didn't grow up very fortunate, but the thing about me I think we were we came from a position of well with my dad being there But when we I lost my dad obviously we lost everything and I think that's sort of like build the entrepreneurship in me Because I saw my mom as a single mother's struggle, you know to get a job to provide for me But she always did and I said, you know what? I want to do better and I truly want to build generational wealth for my kids And I want to see my mom also be better in life So that's sort of where the hustler spirit came from and where the motivation came from because I remember in high school My mom actually lost a job Then I started selling lollipops in my class and then I grew the business and I got agents in other classes to start Selling lollipops for me. So I've always had that entrepreneurship spirit And I think if you're in real estate, you do need to be a hustler You do need that entrepreneurship spirit because you're not working a normal line to five, you know You're working on commission and if you don't push the money's not gonna come right and you've done so many different things to push So many different things that current estate agents are doing, right? You've taken you've taken full control of this thing social media Yes, I think so it's twitter and you've obviously got accounts everywhere else And I love that you did that because you are obviously younger than many agents out there So, you know, you're using these tools that we have as younger people to approach and to get Because who's to say that someone who's 21 cannot afford this 18 million So we need to talk to our people because we are able to achieve these things So I love that about you and Paul. I also wanted to find out from you You know, we spoke about your journey and we spoke about why you're in this particular kind of real estate Theme, you know luxury apartments Your goal with all of this. What is your long-term goal? My long-term goal I always said I want to sell luxury properties in New York City I want to go international with it, you know, and I think you mentioned something so important that There aren't a lot of young people in the real estate game And I also want to change that, you know, I've seen some of the peers that I've had They got into real estate and then they sort of left it So I want to, you know, be that person to break the glass ceiling and also be a successful realtor At a very young age and also change the narrative in our country We don't need real estate agents that are 50 years old and are boring You know these days you have upcoming young people and that's the thing I like about urban train properties They empower young people and they give you the platform because not many real estate firms Whether believed in a 20 year old just an 18 million rent property So I'm so thankful and also they're very digitally orientated Which I am like I use social media for everything even for my other businesses I drive online and I think what we should do as the world and I think with COVID has proven that We are moving in a digital era and if you don't use those platforms Unfortunate you're going to be left behind Right. I love how you said you also want to you want to put a lot of people on, you know So you don't want to put you on and you want to be the plug How does import plan on doing that? I think how do I plan on doing that? Obviously, I'm very young and I'm still new to the real estate market So I want to learn I want to do more and I want to equip myself in order to teach other young people on How did I break the barrier, you know to get into especially luxury Properties and how did I break the barrier to become a successful real estate agent and what kept me going? So once I get to that point and I kind of like become an expert in the industry I'm looking at things like doing Masterclasses, you know possibly writing a book, you know and possibly mention creating a mentorship Program for young people that I can sign to and then we can see what we can do with them Yeah, I also, you know, you spoke in depth about how I feel like you're lucky to work with an agency that is digitally inclined and that helps you And that approves and supports your mission as an estate agent, which is absolutely amazing You spoke about social media And of course, we know social media comes with trolls And with people who are out there just to bash us, right? And you know just that tweet alone you took a risk, you know, you're breaking the ceiling. I love that What do you do when you get negative comments or negative feedback? I think from a very young age I was used to it because I was in pageantry once upon a time I was mr. Teen world and with that came a lot of backlash because people were saying to me You are so skinny how you can win that so I think with social media and negative comments What I literally do is I ground myself and I understand that people are projecting Nobody who's happy and successful in their life will be out on social media and trying to bring other people down The people who are bringing other people down, they wish they were in that position in most cases So it's I always say like you need to be like a race horse Put on your blinkers and focus on the price because I am not trying to you know start fights or wars or tours on Treasure I'm trying to sell an 80 million rent property and once I do that I reach my goal. There you go It's all about the mindset. It's all about the mentality that you have and I feel like you know If people if we had more people like yourself who just told themselves that Um, you know, I'm here. This is my mission and this is what I and I feel like a lot of people You know even even within my own circles We're getting broken down by the backlash and by the comments and it's really it's hurtful. It's hurtful Yeah, I mean just to find your mechanism your method on how to deal with it Is something that we need to grasp and use those tools all the time So as much as yes, there's bad commentary on social media. There's good There is and I want to find out from you just after this tweet What was it like in your dms? What was it like in the comment section was probably so crazy It really was crazy like I didn't think the tweet to like grow as much as it did So I obviously got like some media attention and you guys also approached me You know, it was so great and my dms. What I especially like is young people asking me How can I get into property? How can I get into the luxury space? And I think with that I am inspiring other young people and I'm showing them, you know We liked acting as of age as a barrier and for a while I did that You know, I started because people would say to you it does come with backlash when you're this young and you're trying to Self exactly they're like, oh, you you know you aren't you like tall and So I you do get that but just keep going keep breaking the barriers And get there because we are the future. We are the future leaders. We are the future CEOs So and it's better to start now fail very early in your journey because you learned the most lessons day and then When you're older, then you can build a base and a platform for yourself and can be secured because you failed very early Are you sure you're 21? You sound like a 50 year old telling me about how I need to live my life and I've done wrong No, I love this. I love that you're talking and preaching these certain Um, what are these values and things that we need to carry and hold in life? You know, I learned this a little bit later than you in my journey. Yeah You know On that note, you know 21, I feel like it's a massive milestone It is for a lot of us especially coming from a household people of color It's something where you get like a key. Yeah, and um, did you get a key? No, my mom actually wants to come to Joe break and give me a key But I said, no, let's let's wait and then I'll come home. I love this happening at the moment But she really wants to give me a key You know, the key is so monumental and I think in my family not everybody gets given a key Oh, wow, really? Yeah, they pick and choose So, uh, you need to obviously have they must see attributes in you that you are gonna go far Unlock something, you know, they don't necessarily give keys to people who are just gonna go unlock, you know Really, I had no idea. All of us just get keys. Keys exactly. I found out this like this year And they say, no, there's a certain criteria we follow That's so much pressure. Exactly. So you've clearly, um, followed a certain criteria Let's talk about, you know, you've obviously done so many things to achieve this key And I'm going to keep that theme of the key because you're about to unlock a lot of things Yeah So what is it that I know you've gone through quite a lot in your life and That has obviously given you the motivation to continue on this journey What are certain things, you know, being 21 that you would like to achieve now going forward? I definitely like to solve this paint house first and foremost Number one on the list and obviously I'd like to solve more properties, you know I I as I said, I want to be a catalyst and break the the glass ceiling because even my boss Sandra was saying to me A lot of young people survive in this industry because of instant gratification What we've noticed with the young generation is instant gratification And when you don't get that when you're not making the sales and obviously in luxury You don't just sell it like a gene overnight. No, uh, it's not everybody has 18 million So I definitely want to break the glass ceiling and I want to be one of those young people who are who is sorry A luxury realtor and a successful one in South Africa, you know and just sort of trailer blaze I think that's my goal for now. I'm not really into the materialistic things But I think for me what I really want to achieve is my highest and truest potential and also continue to break barriers And continue to break glass ceilings and insert my myself in spaces that were not meant for us Especially people of color right and I'm so here for that I'm so ready to witness that journey and to witness you breaking those glass ceilings You talk about instant gratification and you know a lot of young individuals such as ourselves watch the show What would you say to young individuals who have that kind of mentality? I would say easy come easy go And I was having a conversation also with one of my mentors. They said to me, you know Getting something easily you don't understand the wit and the sweet and the hard work It goes into building like an enterprise or becoming successful You know and one thing I've always noticed is that if you know how to make one million And if you learn the hard way and you've gone through the strides and the trials and the tribulations and the tears and everything When you lose it, you'll be able to make it again Right, you know, that's because you've now learned how to make it. Exactly and success takes time You know, I always thought I'll be successful at like 22 or 21 because I started very early in high school already I was hustling I was I started an online store You know importing overseas and selling in South Africa and I literally thought by 21 I should be a millionaire. I should you know be okay in life And that's not the story because success takes time And that's one thing I've learned this year and a lesson I've learned recently is that Easy come does easy go like success takes time and sometimes the universe is preparing you for the magnitude of success Because sometimes you're not strong enough to manage at the moment You might not be strong enough to manage a multi-million-rent company or be at where you want to The universe needs to train you it needs to make sure that you'll be able to handle that success and sustain it at the end of the day That's so true. And I feel like these are lessons you learned when you were like two Because of how you talking and I um, you know You had this moment where you said that you thought you would be a millionaire at the age of 21 22 Look, you still have times at 22 if 22 is your goal. But I wanted to even if 21 is your goal We have three months left of the year, right? Yeah I wanted to find out when that moment came when you realized Wow, you've been hustling since the age of 18 17 and all of these things that when that moment came where you realized I'm still not this millionaire It's hard to accept today because when you hustle for so many years you like It like it feels like it's not worth it But when you look back at your journey because they say you connect the dots of your life looking back not looking forwards I am at a way better place. I was five years ago or two years ago So I do appreciate that and I think what helped me is to understand that I look up to a lot of successful people and I I mentored by successful people So that's also something that I think young people should get Find someone who is in a position that you want to be and from that you learn so many reasons They teach me like even now when I you think I've made it on my millionaire or a billionaire I I still have to hustle hustling doesn't stop So for me it's like if you're not willing to hustle when you are this Broken inverted commas What's going to happen when you're a millionaire? You need to keep up that momentum because it's hard when you get the rewards You get the nice house The cars and you are successful realtor and the money's coming and you sort of get lazy and comfortable But you need to keep that momentum going You know because you're right easy come easy go I love that you said that and that's something that we need to be so aware of as young people because There are in all honesty a lot of young people making big money moves I'm very proud of them and you know even people in our own circles They're doing these things but what happens especially with social media We tend to compare you know and We sit in this position where you like So you tell yourself it's not my race We're a different place like how do you deal with that because I'm sure that people in your circle even on your social media are Millionaires already. Yeah, how do you I was also struggling with that like I think for like a year. I struggled that I saw these 21 year olds They are billionaires. I mean if you look at Kylie Jenner and Which was a comparison for a long time, but also saw people in my circle, you know Prospering and doing well and what I needed to understand is you need to be so focused on your grass that you don't care Whose grass is greener than yours Because you need to develop such a work ethic and I'm not saying it's easy It took me time to develop it and I still struggle sometimes a work ethic where you are so focused Whether your friend is buying a merc or whatever You are so focused on developing yourself your goals. Like I said, this blinkers Mentalities work like a racehorse. You need to just water water every day and also you need to remember that we are flowers We all bloom at different times And you might have ordered a tea at a restaurant and I might have ordered a rib eye steak Which will take much more longer. Right That's very true. And you know what this whole metaphor that you're using about the grass worry about your own grass is that When you tend to worry about the grass next door, you don't even see who's messing up your own grass You don't see that people are walking over on your lawn And there are people who come into our lives who do not have the best intentions So you're right put those, you know blinkers on and just focus on what you're doing Focus on the goals that you want to achieve on that note of being successful and having these goals I'm poor Being a successful luxury Realtor what does that take? I think it takes a lot of hard work I've I've seen it even with with my mentor and my bosses at urban trains You know, it's hard work and they said to me when I came in you need to eat sleep real estate So I've started developing that I only read real estate magazines now. I watch selling sunset like 69 times I think this is the 10th time I watched all three seasons, you know, and I constantly think about real estate I think you need to actually live it breathe it You know, you want you must have passion for it and I think people don't understand that It's not a nine to five real estate is not your nine to five You might be working for a firm, but it really isn't a nine to five You are an entrepreneur on your own as much as you're working for someone else And I think with me what helped me is coming from an entrepreneurship background You always need to keep pushing and one thing about me. I'm always thinking about real estate You always need to keep it at the back of your mind whether you're having coffee I remember having coffee with someone yesterday and I'm saying you stay in this neighborhood It's like yes, I'm like I'm sitting that building over there. Don't you want to invest? You know, and this was like a meeting for something else So you always need to keep real estate in your mind. You need to have passion for it And unfortunately I've seen it with a lot of real estate agents They give up halfway at some we joined at the same time and they've left now, you know So I've realized it's not easy and you need to when you go into real estate Understand you won't have an income for six months or a year, which is something I had to mentally prepare myself I always say my real estate journey started last year because that's when Urban trends offered me a job and they said to me, obviously, you're not going to get income for a year Be prepared for that and you need to be mentally prepared. So I took time Did my research, you know, built a few income streams and made sure that I am ready to go all in with what I have Right and I'm sure that on this journey They were difficult moments and I feel like not getting an income is a very difficult It is truth to pull to swallow, you know, but yet you stayed. It's that determination It's that um that willpower that, you know, you're like fine. I won't get an income But I know that when I do, you know, that income is going to come from an 18 million dollar house So what else was like difficult for you to grasp becoming this real stuff? I think I got when I got into because it's nice to see selling sunset and to look in social media and beautiful properties But I think once you're in it when I started like it became my reality I had a lot of fear and I didn't have confidence. I'm like, I said, I told my my mentor sandra like, um, I have so much fear now. I'm selling to these billionaires and these multi Million grand properties and I'm scared. I've never been in this space, you know And it was fear for me. One thing I had to deal with was fear. What what if I fail? What if I'm not good enough? What if this and I just said, you know, what if you really wanted you're going to have to build The confidence you're going to have to insert yourself in those spaces Yeah, even with this home when I first met the owner I remember he didn't even give you like much attention and I was really scared and I I told myself that you know what? I'm going to go to speak to him and convince him that I'm the right person to sell this property And I literally said can I have five minutes of your time? This is my marketing strategy? This is what I will do and now we are literally like we speak every day on whatsapp You know, he we both such a beautiful relationship and I also think is that fear and that barrier we need to break It's all in the mindset, you know Growing up as a person of color you're taught like What offers for those people or certain things are for those people But you just need to break those barriers and boundaries and also it's a mindset shift shift your mindset and also understand Same as the next person who achieved whatever that you want to achieve you have the same capabilities to do that I want to ask you. I don't know if it's going to be too much of a sensitive question But I feel like your answer is going to help a lot of people watching And what what if you do fail? Yeah, actually I love that question because people are always asking me about failure to me. I've made failure a habit Wow It really is a habit. I think with everything that I get in life I failed 10 times like I've failed more times than I've ever wanted and I'm prepared to fail And failure to me the stepping stone is a lesson if I don't sell this one I will aim higher and I will reach higher and I would want to sell the next one because to me failure is not a destination To me failure if I fail is not like it's a pit stop. Okay strategize. Let's move because And until I'm successful and that's why I'm not scared about my success I know I'm going to be successful even if it takes me 20 years or 30 years But I know I'm going to get there because I've made failure a habit Yeah Wow, sorry I didn't think you'd come without drop those gems. Um, yeah I I agree. I totally agree that if you know if this thing when we're scared of failure That's when it becomes a problem. That's when failure sits on your doorstep But a welcome failure inside exactly make it tea have tea with it say What can you teach me? What did I get wrong? Come through. Yeah, I love that You spoke often about uh sandra Mentor as you basically answered my question because I always wondered if estate agents also need mentors This guidance someone to guide them They do I think especially when you're starting out it's so important and I even feel like when you are established and successful you always need to keep Breaking the boundaries. Oh, I always say with my life if you cross one mountain, there's another one to cross So getting a mentor Someone who has experience in the the field in the industry because I've seen with a lot of people You know, you are like a sponge in the beginning I even it's rare with young people to find a sponge someone is willing to learn Go through that, you know And sandra has really helped me and she has mentioned me since last year I remember we do phone calls before I even started the job, you know, and she's helped me so much and A mentor is like a book. Yeah, because they've went through what you've went through They were also like an intern reels at some point they were also starting out in the industry at some point and They you can learn from their failure so you don't have to make them You can learn so much from them And I think one thing that my mentor sandra has told me is that you always need to keep evolving yourself And I think that's why mentors are so important. So let's say even when I do become a successful realtor Um, I will get uh, you know, I will still continue like being mentored because You can never ever be the best There's always going to be somebody smarter than you wealthier than you You can just never like relax and say oh, I've made it I don't feel like you can never arrive until you die And then people look at the amount of work you did and your legacy of like Diana I was actually going to say, you know, if you if you're the best you're done then And then how do we continue evolving on this note of evolving because I love to find out from You know young people what what we're doing to stay sane and to work on thyself You know, we on social media, we always like oh no self care But what are you actually actively doing to take care of yourself and to evolve and to grow? I think also self care. We've got it so confused with the young people and this isn't like my personal opinion people Think self care is obviously part of self care like putting on a facial Taking a day off blah blah blah, but I was watching this video and this guy said you've been self caring the whole year Then you get to december and you've not achieved anything And you're sad and you're depressed and you're in the same place that you were In january, you know and with me self care is constantly evolving yourself reading books attending seminars You know breaking boundaries doing something that you've never done before So for me, self care is making sure that i'm better than last year, right? You know internally not better than my friend I am better than I was last year last year. That's the thing that we need to understand, you know Especially as younger people we do You know firstly, thank you so much for sharing I mean the amount you have extensive knowledge on a lot of things and the amount of gems that you've dropped Just today, you know, I don't want to tell people i'm older than you because Like I said, I feel like you've learned a lot of things that helped you and strengthened you as a person at a very young age And that just also for me Shows me how far you're Gonna go and how far you're gonna reach and those goals and milestones that you're gonna reach And obviously, you know by this entire from this entire chat I can obviously tell you're extremely ambitious And you've got this motivation to just keep pushing and there are times and there are youth or You know viewers at home who sit at home and wish they were you right? What you know piece of advice or Lesson would you give them? Maybe there's a lesson you've learned or someone's taught you a valuable lesson And that's made you who you are today. Could you share that with some of our viewers at home? Definitely I would firstly say that it doesn't matter where you come from your circumstances doesn't determine how far you'll go You know, it doesn't determine your altitude I'll also say to young people sitting on the couch and wishing and Manifesting on twitter at 11 11. It really doesn't help Hard work guys when you broke work when you tired you work when you made it you work One thing that has kept me going throughout my whole journey is a good work ethic. You really need to work Nothing comes easy in life I understand that there's a million other inputs in the world who want to be billionaires and millionaires And one thing that you need to understand that's going to set you apart Is your work ethic and your wit and the ability to keep going in hard times Storms come and go they don't last forever, but you are a constant in life I love that info. Um, I don't want to end there though. I do have one last question just before I say I feel like a good chat all day But you know, um, my last question and I um is really just what makes important to bring from the rest What makes me truly different from there is I think it's my ability to bounce back Like I fall so many times. I told you like I make Failure a habit and also what sets me apart is my work ethic I'm not afraid to sit in a room and say I will outwork all of you if I had to or I'll outwork all of you Should like that's how I go into things. I want to outwork everybody. I want to be the best There is no pride in being second base You know, so like I said to the view is like you need to work your work ethic Is what's going to set you apart because there's a million other There's a million other kids in in south african young people who want to be who are luxury realtors Even who want to get into the space and who want to be billionaires, you know And who want to live a good life, but what sets me apart? I think it's my work ethic My ambition I always got this in high school people always say to me you are too ambitious You know and and everybody just always said to me like you are too ambitious So my ambition is what makes me different and my ambition is backed by hard work A lot of people have ambition, but there is no product to show for it. Exactly Listen, if you have to write a book title resilience determination ambition Like that's literally what you preach and you walk it. You talk it You you are it and that also, you know, just makes you so powerful. I love that again Thank you so much. Um, also, you need to let us know as soon as this this unity is sold No, definitely. I'll let you guys know then, you know, our percentage as well Thank you so much to the viewers at home. Take care. Stay safe Please remember this is a platform where we share stories and we help build each other I think that's so important in such a hard time, you know, currently in south africa going through the pandemic Let's support one another. Let's hear those stories. You've been great and pause. You've been great Absolutely amazing. We'll see you guys again next week same time 8 p.m. On instagram, facebook and youtube. Take care