By Gemma-Louise Wright, MD and Editor, Property Wheel.
‘Work until you no longer have to introduce yourself’ – my motivational desktop wallpaper when I was appointed as the Editor of Property Wheel in early 2020. And then Covid-19 hit.
I studied Journalism in 2011 – a ‘hobby’ I kept alive part time as a freelancer during Property Wheel’s early days when I entertained a corporate job in a completely different industry, of which I hated.
When I was offered the opportunity of joining Property Wheel’s team on a full-time basis, I jumped the corporate ship and I have never looked back.
Four years later, having survived as a startup during the pandemic, winning SAPOA’s Property News Website of the Year for two years consecutively (2022 and 2023), and being recognized as one of South Africa’s PropTech companies transforming property management and investment, our platform has morphed into one of the country’s most recognizable real estate news portals.
Find the gap in your market and run with it. When I started with Property Wheel, we spent months strategizing, researching, and monitoring our stats to define who our target market is and what the industry required in terms of media and news coverage. While this has grown organically over the years, we still need to be on top of where our business is going, what trends we can capitalize on, and what works and does not work. Very often, what you think won’t work, does actually work and exceeds expectations.
Work until you no longer have to introduce yourself. Public holidays – what are those? Blood. Sweat. Tears. This means working into the early hours of the morning for the first client you have landed or giving up your weekend to complete a deadline ahead of time. The effort you put in is the result you will see.
As a single mom of two young children, I still struggle with balancing my work/home life. Find a routine or structure that accommodates both while maximizing your time. As working moms, we need to accept that some days will be less productive than others – and that’s ok.
It’s often not what you know but who you know. I have learnt that real estate is a relationship-based industry. You need to associate your face to your brand – networking functions, industry events, conferences. Set up intro meetings with potential and existing clients – the personal aspect plays a crucial role in doing business and once the connection is made, it can be a lot easier to get your foot in the door.
If you do what you love, the money will follow. If you chase money, you will soon discover the lack of ‘substance’ and ‘gratification’ that comes with this. Money does not inspire innovation or transformation; passion, ambition, and enthusiasm do. The money will inevitably follow, even if this means taking on a project pro bono because you share its vision.
Nurture meaningful partnerships. Property Wheel has connected with individuals, organizations, and associations over the years who all share our passion and drive. We have become a part of a broader network where we assist each other in every shape or form, specifically the younger professionals entering the industry.
LinkedIn. If you do not have a LinkedIn profile, you need to create one. LinkedIn has proven to be a powerful tool for Property Wheel and for my career.
Don’t look back, you aren’t going that way. Its ok to make mistakes, to misjudge, or to second guess yourself during the tough times. You learn – I continue to learn, twelve years later.
If you have confidence in your brand and what it has to offer, you don’t need to worry about what your ‘competition’ is doing otherwise you lose sight of your objective(s).
The motivational quote hit home for me recently when attending an industry event, I was approached by an executive who knew me by name, as well as Property Wheel. She made mention of the fact that she was a huge fan of our work and that she closely follows our platform which reaffirmed what it is that I do – and why I do it.
Block out the noise. Keep your head down. Eat, sleep, breathe what you do – even if you wake up at 02:00am in the morning with a new idea. Remain focused.
If you have a topic that you think is interesting and that would provide our readers with valuable insight, you can submit your article to pr@propertywheel.co.za as part of our ‘Young Professionals’ campaign.
You don’t need to have formal writing experience – we will assist you, but you need to be under the age of 35, having graduated with at least one years’ work experience in the real estate industry.
Knowledge sharing is powerful!
Ts & Cs:
Property Wheel reserves the right not to publish content submitted as part of its Young Professionals Campaign.
Writers must ensure that their employers have granted them permission to submit the content and that they are happy with Property Wheel referencing them in the publication and posts.
