Bayonle Lawal is the MD/CEO of ONEBRICK Investment Ltd, a real estate investment and development firm focused on building Residential communities and lifestyle destinations.
He is an astute Real Estate Investor and developer who focuses on getting his clients the best of real estate deals within the Sub-Saharan African market.
A Sales-Maverick who believes in acquiring income-generating assets over liabilities, Bayonle has done over N1,000,000,000 (One billion Naira) revenue in real estate Sales. He has a knack for studying market trends and pioneering fresh development within the built and Real-Estate sectors.
With almost a decade of experience in the built and Real-Estate industry, he started his career in the banking sector. He later joined the Lagos State Government (LASG) teaching services as an Education Officer, imparting knowledge and helping with some policy-making decisions about education, learning and development.
Bayonle is a graduate of the University of Ibadan (UI), and he also has an Executive MBA (Marketing) from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and a Project-Management Certification from Regenesys Business School, South Africa.
Bayonle is happily married to his wife – with two beautiful daughters. Aside from family, spirituality and business, Bayonle’s greatest passion is giving back. During his leisure, Bayonle enjoys playing golf, sightseeing and meditating. He is a proud member of Rotary Club International.
The News Wings NG team caught up with him; please find below the excerpt of the interview-
NW: With your academic background, what motivated you into real estate business?
BL: I was trained as a teacher at the University of Ibadan, where I studied Educational Management/Political science with six years of working experience with the Lagos State Government. Afterwards, I found love with the built industry, where I started as a key distributor with a key building materials manufacturing firm. My inspiration to go into real estate after my experience with Sales and distributions of building materials was due to the stability in real estate assets.
I started as an investor to build and sustain wealth for generational purposes. As a first-generation wealth builder, I found real estate a great way to build and preserve wealth while enjoying capital appreciation and passive income.
NW: There is an assumption that people who work around real estate businesses are in a niche profession. How did you learn the ropes of being a real estate business?
BL: As I said earlier, I started real estate to build generational wealth with a focus on capital appreciation and passive income, so the whole idea of being an investor from scratch gave me an opportunity to learn the business from an investor point of view, not as an agent or consultant. This gave me an edge because I had to invest my own money, and I will not want to lose my hard-earned money to a bad investment. At some point, I had to go back to take NIESV to learn the basics of real estate as a professional, but I later dropped out of NIESV when I realized I was more of a business owner than a professional in any field.
Aside from the basic knowledge gained at NIESV, I also engaged in so many online classes before going to the field to start acquisition in landed property. My biggest knowledge for me was my first failed acquisition process that broke me after the bad deals. And this really gave me an insight into the nitty-gritty of real estate investment, especially in Lagos, Nigeria. I have learned from the mistake, which has been the guiding light for me in real estate landed property acquisition. Aside from few courses online, my best knowledge is doing the actual work while learning along the line.
NW: Recently, especially in Lagos, there seems to be a spike in realtors across Nigeria. What are the Unique Selling Points (USP) that set yours aside?
BL: I would not call myself a realtor because I have been more of an investor than a realtor from the beginning of my journey in real estate. I started as an investor, and the consultancy part of the job came to me. As a result, people trust me with their Real estate investment plans.
I have a unique selling point as an investor because I know where to buy below the market price and focus most of my selling on investors, not possessors. Real estate investors don’t just buy property for home ownership purposes alone. Still, more about capital appreciation and passive income, so I focus more on investors than possessors, who only think of real estate strictly for homeowners opportunities alone. Real estate investors will always subscribe to all our projects than focus on possessors who only buy one-off.
NW: Real estate business in Nigeria seems to be more lucrative than other investments, what do you think accounts for this?
BL: The real estate market in Nigeria is still untapped when it comes to the opportunity that abounds in the industry. The sector will remain the best investment opportunity because other sectors of Nigeria’s economy are not so lucrative.
Take a cue at the money market today you will realize that it is better to put your money into real estate investment than any money markets opportunities in the economy because the demand for real estate in a vast population like Lagos state and urban migration to the major city in the country will always make real estate investment, the most lucrative sector to invest your money.
The sector can be better than it is now if the government can solve the biggest problem in the industry, some of which are financing, mortgages, regulatory imbalance and the high cost of building materials.
NW: Looking at your career trajectory, what are the experiences garnered from other careers that have impacted your real estate business?
BL: My biggest skill that has helped me in building my real estate business is sales. I was a salesman before anything that had to do with real estate. And also, my financial knowledge skills have really helped to differentiate between cash flow and profit. These two skills have done a lot in my real estate business growth.
NW: What are the challenges evident in the real estate business in Nigeria today?
BL: There are many challenges in real estate sectors, especially in Lagos; regulatory imbalance, high cost of building materials, and title issues, but the biggest in the country is financing and poor Mortgage system. It’s only in Lagos you have different regulatory bodies controling the real estate sector in Lagos.
NW: Recently, the Lagos State Government announced the path for the proposed 4th Mainland Bridge. How have you helped your clients avoid these types of issues?
BL: I have been able to avoid issues of right of way and committed acquisition of land due to my exposure as a real estate investor. So I can guide and help our investors/clients avoid land that falls within the right of way and government acquisition because I am an investor, not just an agent, who is mostly all about his Commission, not the client’s investment.
NW: Prominent real estate businesses have been accused of not allotting plots of land to their customers. What are the strategies that you have adopted to avoid such scandals?
BL: We always make sure we sell within the available plot and focus on the request of our Investors/clients to meet their demand when due.
NW: The cost of properties along the Lekki-Epe axis has risen astronomically in recent times because of the development in that area, and there have been complaints about the infrastructure around there, and it is most likely to replicate the issues around Apapa. What do you think are the likely solutions?
BL: The population growth is high along the Lekki-Epe corridor, so the government must be fast with the infrastructural development space to avoid the repeat of Apapa. I can say that the implementation of the Lagos State Development master plan within this axis is enough to solve the problem that arises from industrialization and population growth of the axis.
NW: In recent times, most real estates have adopted the use of promo/price slash to improve their business, is your company into this also?
BL: We also do promo and price slash to encourage investors to key into our projects/development.
NW: What are the packages offered in your company?
We have different promotional offers targeted across our different demographics. We just launched a unique platform tagged O.WIN (Onebrick Women Investment Network). This allows women to come together and co-invest and create wealth together.
NW: Where are your real estate Project located?
BL: We have two residential estates along the Lekki-Epe expressway, one in Epe, our fast-selling estate. We are almost sold out in all our (3) three residential estates development along the free trade zone axis. Our inaugural lifestyle destination is Project FourZero Beach Resort & spa beside Jara Beach Resort in Eleko Museyo beach. We also have an estate in Ibadan.
NW: What are the benefits to enjoy from investments in your real estate?
BL: You are guaranteed to buy a property with good titles, free from government acquisition, and a lifestyle that allows you to live your best life within a resort-like residential environment.
NW: In 10 years, where do you think your company will be in terms of progression?
BL: In the next ten years, we will be recognized as a top real estate firm with brand recognition in building residential communities and lifestyle destinations with strong corporate governance and sustainable business development.
ONEBRICK Investment Ltd is located at KM 22, Lekki Epe Expressway, opposite FidelityBank, Abraham Adesanya, Ajah, Lagos. You can reach us on +234 903 508 8781 or via email-
onebrickng@gmail.com.
Follow us on linkedin- https://www.linkedin.com/company/onebrick-investment-limited/; instagram- https://www.instagram.com/onebrickng/; or like our facebook page- https://web.facebook.com/onebrickng
