5 Books on Real Estate in Africa You Must Read
The real estate market has evolved over the years into the financial powerhouse that it is today. Real estate in Africa remains one of the emerging markets, one that major players and stockholders spend time on. Here are the top five books to read, if you want to be a top player in the African Real Estate market: 1. The law and practice of real estate investments trusts: with highlights of African REIT models – Hakeem Oguniran Written by one of Nigeria’s real estate experts, this is a comprehensive text on the Law and Practice of REITS – Legal Framework, Investment Benefits, Structure and Governance, Capital Markets and Listing, and Tax Treatment of REITS. A pivotal chapter of the book deals with highlights of the major REIT Models in Africa – Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, and Kenya. This is a must-read for investors and individuals interested in the dynamic Nigerian real estate market and Real Estate in Africa. 2. Retire Rich Through property – Jason Lee In this new edition of South Africa’s best-selling property book, ‘Fast-forward Your Retirement through Property’, Jason Lee provides up-to-date information on how to build a property portfolio that will allow you to take charge of your financial security for a stress-free retirement. Retire Rich through Property takes readers through every step of the property process, but goes further by focusing on finding the right deals for retirement purposes; how to negotiate and finance a property with retirement requirements in mind; and whether to hold on to or sell a property for financial gain. With myriad insider tips from a property-investment expert, this book will allow the reader to push aside reliance on state- and employer-sponsored retirement benefits and work towards a secure retirement through the property. This easily accessible guide is a must-read for first-time property purchasers and experienced investors alike who are looking to fast-forward their retirement or to retire comfortably at their chosen age. It’s a most read for Real Estate in Africa. 3. The real estate market in Ghana – Wilfred K. Anim-Odame The Real Estate Market in Ghana’ is one book that seeks to fill the information gap on a key emerging real estate market and demystify the perception that this particular market in Ghana is opaque. Drawing on decades of experience from within the market, Dr Anim-Odame presents a detailed examination of the real estate market in Ghana and its existing regulatory framework. The book focuses on seven thematic areas – land administration, legal perspectives, market dynamics, investment potential, market competitiveness, valuation, and compensation. 4. Over 100 answers to nagging questions about real estate investment in Nigeria – Mojisola Afolayan The book “Over 100 Answers to Nagging questions About Real Estate Investment in Nigeria” was written by a leading property expert- ESV. Mojisola Afolayan ANIVS, RSV. The motive behind the book is revealed in a simplified way- the things you need to know and can do to invest safely in real estate in Nigeria without being exhausted. Written in very simple language, you’ll find answers to your most important nagging property questions, including: What is real estate itself? Who are the real estate professionals? What are the different title documents? How do I cope with issues regarding ownership and possession? All these and a lot more, are the questions that get addressed in the book. 5. The African-American Guide to Real Estate Investing: $30,000 in 30 Days: the Handbook & Guide Through Your First Real Estate Deal– and Beyond by Laryette Kyle Debose In this book, the author gives readers a breakdown of how to build a successful and profitable real estate business. This step-by-step, easy-to-follow guide will show you how to make money through real estate with these easy steps: Buy Property with No Money Down! Plan and Begin the Process of Real Estate Ownership Know When to Hold or Sell Your Property Choose the Best Mortgage Deal Position Yourself for Wealth Understand Foreclosures and How They Can Work for You Select the best Realtor to meet Your Needs Find Your Ideal Property.
Three proven steps to becoming a thought leader
Want to become a thought leader in your niche? Ingrained in everyone is the natural desire to succeed. This is why sporting competitions dominate every space and every corner- Watching people compete for a common goal reflects the desire of the human race to rise above what’s normal and achieve the impossible. This is what thought leaders do. Thought Leaders dare to rise above all the odds stacked against them, pushing the bar higher with every step they take. The world’s influential thought leaders didn’t start out the way they are now. For example, when Olugbenga Agboola, the co-founder of Flutterwave, began his career in tech, he didn’t own a company that would eventually rise to unicorn status. All he had was characteristic of many thought leaders in the world today- talent, determination, and plenty of hard work, which eventually paid off. Okay, so you want to become a thought leader. Now, there are so many processes involved but generous that we are, we’ve outlined them in these three proven steps: 1. Think Sounds funny, right? Thought leaders are men and women who stop, pay attention and think. They are not complainers- you know those people who complain about every single thing: the government, the country where they were born, their background; all those kinds of things. To think is to churn ideas out of your mind and make a constructive conclusion out of it. Thought leaders spend a large amount of their time thinking above any other activity, as it is from here that the process gets easier. Rather than complain about what has already happened, thought leaders think about what can be done to change the narrative. They energize the creative powers of their minds, cooking up theories and stretching themselves to the point where every ‘crazy’ idea seems tenable. As simply as René Descartes puts it, Cogito ergo sum, meaning ‘I think, therefore I am’ Thought leaders think greatness, think positively and think on a global scale and then become. Book recommendation: Thinking for a change – John C. Maxwell 2. Study Another word for study here is self-development. Self-development is a broad term that involves all the actions needed to steer sustainable growth. In simpler terms, it is everything you need to do to become better. If you must become a thought leader, you have to pay the price of sitting still to study. Studying is beyond reading books; it is the art of discovering what makes systems function and keep running. No human being created the earth, so the only way to make an impact while you’re here is to study what already exists and make alterations; sometimes little, other times, life-changing. Here are some important pointers to note to make studying effective: Get available resources in your chosen field, including material resources & audios. Identify the thought leaders currently influencing the field you’re interested in and follow their patterns. Look out for the ‘besetting sin’ of your industry- common mistakes & misconceptions. Studying requires great patience and a lot of effort, but certainly, the reward is with it at the end. Book recommendation: Wealth without Capital, Capital without money – Bright UK 3. Act Ready? Set? Action! Yet, many are still left behind, waiting for the right time. For thought leaders, there’s no perfect time. The only time we are assured of is ‘Now’ and that’s the best tool in our employ- the power of today. Acting needs to be sponsored by knowledge and that is why, for this final point to be fully effective, the first two points (Thinking and Studying) must be done flawlessly. Action requires a well-mapped plan for the effort to be measurable and defined by time. Without action, the world’s best books, greatest inventions, and revolutionary movements did not end as ideas, wallowing in the minds of their owners. After being convinced about how phenomenal their ideas are, thought leaders highlight the important steps to take and then repeatedly do them. Book recommendation: Eat that Frog – Brian Tracy. There you have it- the three proven steps to becoming a thought leader. Consistently and deliberately practice these skills and you’re on your way to success. Till next time.
Dear Thought Leader (2): Frequently Asked Questions on Thought Leadership
Always, humans are driven by “what’s in it for me?” Therefore, before going about dishing out content in your area of interest while building your thought leadership portfolio, you must be armed with the knowledge of what your audience members would gain from each piece of content you make available to them. Think about it this way: when you purchase an item at the supermarket or grocery store, are you doing so just because you are excited about the producer, the packaging or even the store? Not at all! You want to part with your money to own that piece of the item because you already have in mind what use it would be for you. The same goes for your readers – they want to get educated or informed about something they need help with. If you are able to creatively get this done, you can be sure that your journey to thought leadership is gaining grounds. Since it is really easy to get confused about a popular topic, we have put together key points of concerns that people have about thought leadership. Read on to find out about the frequently asked questions on the topic. What is thought leadership really about? Once a concept becomes widely spread and accepted, it can assume even definitions that don’t come close to its true meaning. To begin with, thought leadership isn’t just about coming up with new ideas and concepts that have never been heard of before. You don’t necessarily have to present something totally new or unique but you can be uniquely helpful with what has already been shared by others by using the available concepts to uniquely help your audience. Are thought leaders simply experts in a field? Partly yes. Being an expert in a niche is very vital to thought leadership. However, that is only one piece of the puzzle. The components that make a thought leader are highlighted in (4) below to help you further. Can anyone be a thought leader? Everyone desires to be successful but not everyone achieves success because the level of commitment differs from person to person. Likewise, despite the fact that almost everyone has something they are passionate about, we all don’t get to put in the needed effort to move the needle on such matters or bring about unique, creative perspectives in our fields and industries. What are the key factors to consider when starting out as a thought leader? At Scribe Tribe Africa, we believe in the 6 Ms of thought leadership, which involves having a (1) message to share with a set of proven (2) methods that solve specific problems for the (3) masses (a group/community of people), with the (4) motive of helping them live more authentic, effective and productive lives; here, the thought leader is a willing (5) messenger who creates a (6) movement with his message. If any of these is missing, thought leadership isn’t what you’re building. Note, however, that you must take a stand and make a move before anything else. How can a person’s authority in thought leadership be authenticated? Remember, you can only improve what you start. This means you can’t think of being authenticated if no one hears from you on a particular topic regularly. It might be safe to say that when other intelligent people begin to share your ideas with their communities, no matter how small, your authentication has begun. Can I sell when putting out content on thought leadership? One of the great ways of having raving fans and loyal customers is through thought leadership. Therefore, businesses that take the lead in giving creative solutions to their communities can reap great rewards in terms of profit when they use the right strategy in communicating their values and giving calls to action for their products and services. As always, there are other factors that come to play when one starts out on a journey; the same goes with thought leadership. One thing is sure, though: the process is really worthwhile as it not only benefits the people you are looking at helping but it also develops and rewards you in the long run.
Dear Thought Leader (1): On Becoming a Thought Leader
Unlike many tend to assume, a thought leader does not throw completely new ideas into the available pool of knowledge in an industry. In fact, thought leadership is not knowing so much and sharing about a subject matter either. However, both factors have a part to play in the concept of thought leadership. As a senior professional or veteran in your field, if you have ever thought about becoming an authority and multiplying your influence to be recognised as a thought leader and earn profitably from doing so, this weekly series of my articles scripted as personalised letters to you will help you to start and excel in your journey. I invite you to read, apply, and share these inspiring, insightful, and infectious treatises with your like-minded friends and colleagues. Who is a Thought Leader? In simple terms, a thought leader has a systematic approach to bringing fresh perspectives into concepts, especially to address a particular audience’s pressing concerns. Not only do thought leaders provide answers to current nagging questions in the hearts of their audience, but they also give insights into related possible occurrences in the future. Put simply, a thought leader is a leading authority in his or her area of expertise. What’s more? Thought leaders are deep thinkers themselves. They see trends before they happen — they can keep a pulse on what is happening in their industry today, and offer thought-provoking perspectives on what will happen in the future. Being a thought leader entails a great deal of self-discovery and self-expansion. Until you see such a challenge as worth the while, you can’t lead others effectively with your ideas and messages. “How do I go about my quest for becoming a thought leader?” you might ask. The following are questions you need to answer sincerely. 1. What exactly do I care about lending my voice, personality and perspective to which will be of great benefit to my audience or a group of people? 2. Are there people who are truly interested in areas of concern over this issue? 3. Do I care about affecting lives for the better by lending my voice to this cause or am I only focused on the supposed benefits that come with being recognised as a thought leader? 4. When I get criticised or challenged for sharing my point of view, will it invalidate my worth as a person? 5. Do I care about using my ideas and how they are shared to effect positive, lasting changes in those who interact with them? 6. Do I see myself as a know-it-all where my subject matter is concerned or am I open to and willing to incorporate and build on other thought leaders’ work where necessary? 7. Am I willing to continue sharing valuable information in this line even if I don’t get recognised for my contributions for so long? 8. Do I regularly ask for feedback, critique, help and constructive criticism on my work, so I’m continually expanding it in positive ways? If your answers to the aforementioned questions are positive, you are on a journey of thought leadership. While it may not happen overnight, consistently putting into action the answers above would get you started. I’d like to keep this brief so you can ingest the ideas here efficiently and effectively. Expect a sequel next week. Also, please feel free to ask me questions here if you have any. To your greatness, Bright UK The Chief Scribe