MAIN IMAGE: Xoliswa Tini – owner of Xoliswa Tini Properties, and Nombasa Matutu – owner of Mbasa Properties
Kerry Dimmer
Female-to-female mentorship in the property industry should not be underestimated. Not only does this clique produce highly driven candidates, but the wisdom imparted by the mentor can be catalytic in the creation of new business operations. This is the case between mentor Xoliswa Tini of Xoliswa Tini Properties and her mentee, Nombasa Matutu, owner of Mbasa Properties.
Their journeys are shared in this conversation, motivated by Property Professional.
Xoliswa: When I entered the real estate industry, I was unemployed and frustrated. I had sold my supermarket business and resigned from my teaching post because I could not see any upward mobility despite my academic qualifications. I realised that if I kept teaching, I would never live ‘the dream’.
My family had grown to two children, and at the same time, we were in the market for a house, wanting to move from Mdantsane (East London) to the suburbs. My husband was, by then, the only breadwinner so when I found the house I wanted, we could not afford it. He had given me a tight budget, which was made more difficult by the then exceptionally high interest rates.
I needed to do something or I would remain dependent on my husband. The frustration and vacuum in my life made me regret my resignation. I even inquired about my returning, but the department had already replaced me. My childhood dreams were falling apart!
When we found a house, I realised I was interested in the property business and decided I wanted to become an estate agent. The agent who facilitated our property purchase had a small agency, which I wanted to join but did not have any experience.
I contacted all the property principals in East London, without luck, again because of a lack of experience, or so I thought. I noticed that these agencies did take on other new agents, the only difference between them and I, was that I was black.
The only company willing to hire me wanted me to work in Mdantsane, which I felt would limit me. Finally, one agent did agree to employ me but he was under pressure by his partners not to hire a black person. Although I was not asked to resign, I felt isolated.
Fortunately, I met another white agent who passed my information onto a company that employed me, provided I paid for all my incidentals.
Finally, my real estate journey had started in earnest. One of my top goals was to prove the industry wrong about black real estate agents. I took it upon myself to be the best in that company, and I was.
Although I did not understand the dynamics of the industry, I was willing to learn and go the extra mile. After two years I can say that I left with such a good reputation, that many agencies wanted to snap me up.
I established Xoliswa Tini Properties, understanding that there was power in my name and that I had made an impact. The rest is history, and I am very proud of my success.
Nombasa: I can vouch for Xoliswa’s reputation. Her business had sold my property in East London. When I subsequently moved to Cape Town, and boughta new property, I realised just how much agents make in commission. It looked relatively easy, especially given I had sales experience in clothing, cosmetics, crockery, bedding, etc.
Although I was offered a position at the agency that sold me my Cape Town property, I was not confident at the time, so I reached out to Xoliswa for advice. When she opened an office in Cape Town, and asked me to join her company, I did not hesitate. I was 45-years-old at the time, and ready to start a new career. Under her guidance, I ultimately became her manager in the Cape Town office.
Xoliswa: It’s never easy to go it alone, which is why I encouraged Nombasa to join us. You just have to look at my story to realise how tough it is. The industry had rejected me but I had the right attitude. I did not take the rejections personally. I understood that rejecting new people or things is human so had to focus on proving myself.
As a result, I did not employ any agents in my first year. I wanted to learn by error when building my brand. It meant I would be better positioned to train new agents, and assist in developing their confidence. With mental fitness, survival is easier.
Nombasa: Now that I have my own property business, Mbasa Properties in Cape Town, which I started in 2009, I fully understand what Xoliswa means. It’s really not easy, and you have to be very careful about the market conditions. I only started Mbasa Properties when Xoliswa closed her Cape Town office, which wasn’t a failure on its own merit, but rather caused by the 2008 recession.
Xoliswa: I hear you Nombasa. And on top of the recession, white and black women faced many challenges in the industry at that time, especially those running a company, and needing to assert their authority. When I first opened Xoliswa Tini Properties, some 21 years ago, right or wrong, I felt as though my husband rode roughshod over me.
It is easier for men in business, which creates a serious challenge. Most of the doors I knocked on were businesses led by men. I felt they, not me, needed to overcome the perceptions of hiring a black female, especially one with a brand that didn’t have a history.
I think that this also created a scenario that speaks to women being better positioned to mentor other women. There is less chance of power struggle and we are empathetic, while men are mostly results-driven and can undermine the confidence of women.
Another challenge for me, like most women, was that my children were still at school and I did not want to miss this part of their lives. It remains that women in business, like myself and Nombasa, have to confront three roles: being a wife/partner, a mother, and a chief executive officer.
Nombasa: I agree and have to say our journeys are similar. Once I start something, I have to see it to the end. I am afraid of failure, so I have to push myself to succeed. To succeed, however, you have to be resilient and seize an opportunity when it arises. Having entered the property space during the recession, I was able to ride the wave as I was unlike the agents who were there during the boom period.
Xoliswa and I are both teachers by profession, and thus have people skills, love helping and educating people about the property industry and the value of property ownership. This is, I think, a huge part of our success stories, and more so as black women who had to break into the industry by proving ourselves.
Xoliswa: When I started in the business, I did not have the benefit of mentoring from any real estate practitioner, man or woman. There were no female figures at the time that I could depend on but as my new career developed, I came learn of, and admire, icons like Pam Golding.
Nombasa: I was fortunate to have Xoliswa take me under her wing. What I learned during my time at Xoliswa Tini Properties gave me confidence to start my own agency. I still consult Xoliswa for guidance and advice on certain property-related issues and developments in the industry. We also talk together about plans for our agencies. We continue to have a good working relationship and I will always look up to her. She is my inspiration.
Xoliswa: The real estate industry is different from the corporate world. It is dominated and ruled by white males who perceive women as homemakers, which makes it difficult for women to navigate, and more so black women. Also, most firms are family generational businesses.
Another issue for women, even today, is that when entering real estate, a wife usually receives financial backing from her husband to start the business, which generally they do because they perceive it as a flexible career where the women can still rear the children and take care of the home.
When the business is successful, the husband often wants to step in and build it further. I have yet to find a real estate business where a married woman has singly grown the business beyond it being a hobby. I call it a “hobby ” because that is, generally, how it starts.
I think that women have really only started navigating the industry recently, which gives me hope that we can break down male domination.
Xoliswa’s takeaway:
Women need help to grow in this industry. As a woman, you can easily reach a plateau because women are distracted, understandably, by the family role. The opposite is true for men, who can focus on their business and career and have better access to opportunities that they can leverage without any discrimination. Mentoring is crucial, as is woman-to-woman support, if we are to make an impact as real estate stakeholders and drive change.
