There are 24 reasons why we invest in real estate and they are not peculiar to any tribe or race. As long as you are a human being making real estate decisions, your reason will be found on this list.

It is a widely favoured belief that monetary reward is the only pay-off of real estate investment. But there is another kind of return, rarely talked about, which accounts for more than half of the reasons why you would consider investing in real estate.

This other kind of return often makes up for the down-times that characterize periods of negative or no financial returns even though it could sometimes be considered a hindrance to the effective delivery of monetary returns on your investment.

I refer to this other kind of return as Sentimental Value.

Sentimental value is defined as the value of an object deriving from personal or emotional associations rather than material worth. Hence, in real estate investment, you are either getting sentimental or monetary value; or both.

Sentimental value is also your inflated opinion of your piece of real estate’s value. The value of your real estate, in your opinion, can be related to a number of things peculiar to you as an individual. These could range from the sacrifice and discipline it cost you to acquire a piece of the earth or to set up a real estate business which is often known and considered by you alone.

This type of value tends to be subjective therefore, it finds its way around assets through the lifetime of the asset even as the asset moves from one buyer to the next buyer.

The creation story both from the religious or scientific perspective shows that there has to be a planet to sustain human life. It must have required some great effort to have the first house or bridge or wall. The earliest real estate objects have become artefacts in Museums or monuments around the world. These edifices have nostalgic stories behind them.

The labour invested in the acquisition of real estate often invokes an incredibly nostalgic feeling in the owner. It becomes a priceless asset, largely because of the underlying purpose of purchase, efforts and energy invested as well as the investment journey.

Most real estate investments come at higher financial costs than they should. The extra cost is usually overlooked because of the sentimental value attached to the real estate.

Conducting an objective evaluation of how much a real estate investment is truly worth at the prevailing rate may be impossible when the investment is induced by deep-rooted emotional motivations that are often denied or, in many cases, unknown.  This is considering the variations in the market value of properties within a location.

“Sentimental value tends to be subjective therefore, it finds its way around assets through the lifetime of the asset as the asset moves from one buyer to the next buyer”.

A skewed perception of real estate value makes it difficult to focus on a bigger picture or make accurate judgments about its monetary value given a current economic reality and real estate cycle which are always subject to external factors.

READ: Real Estate: A universal convertible survival tool

Of the 24 reasons for real estate investments, it is important that you identify which have influenced or can influence your real estate investment decisions as well as which of them may no longer be sentimentally or financially profitable.

Your reason may no longer guarantee any higher monetary compensation you may desire at a current or future sale. An attachment to the subtle sentimental value of a piece of real estate is partly responsible for many abandoned properties.

READ: Key ‘side-hustles’ Nigerian Bankers supplement their income with

The initial listing of an asset for liquidation at a rate way higher than the perceived market value only to change it later may suggest the existence of a defect to potential investors who are often smart enough to delay their investment decision in anticipation of a further drop in price. You definitely don’t want to deal at a loss.

It is best for every investor to put in perspective the kind of values an investment is expected to deliver and for how long that value will be profitable.

Explore Data on the Nairametrics Research Website

To access the 24 reasons, and tips on how to manage your reasons in the investment process, send “24 reasons” to 07062028677 via WhatsApp.

Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy divides human needs into three (3) broad categories. The basic needs category describes safety and physiological needs such as food, water, and rest. The second category describes our need for esteem, love and belonging. These are psychological needs. The final category describes self-fulfilment and self-actualization needs.

I like to think that human needs as presented in these three broad categories are first emotional. Remember that saying about a hungry man being an angry man. Even food trigger intense emotions yet we need food to survive. Meeting these needs deliver emotional fulfilment and reward. The amazing thing is that real estate meets needs across the hierarchy from bottom up.

READ: Would you have invested in buying a plot of land in Abuja FCT in 1980?

READ: Real estate: Experts lament over challenges in the industry

Let me show you how.

First, let me describe real estate.

Investopedia describes real estate as the land along with any permanent improvements attached to the land. Whether natural or man-made—including water, trees, minerals, buildings, homes, fences, and bridges.

This description means that there are many ways to look at real estate. Shows how convertible it truly is. Don’t get stuck looking at it from just a perspective.

READ: Key ‘side-hustles’ Nigerian Bankers supplement their income with

The Basic Needs: These are also physiological needs; food, water, warmth, rest, security and safety. Food in agriculture and water is from the ground. Warmth and rest do not happen in isolation. We derive them from a subset of real estate such as a built property. Likewise, within a bounded area is where you feel safe and secure.

When you provide basic needs to your family or other people, you derive a sense of fulfilment. This is regardless of the provision being free or paid for. Sometimes you feel you have self-actualized doing this.

READ: Square buys $50 million worth of Bitcoins

This is why it feels terrible when parents are unable to provide shelter for their wards. Especially when these wards are still financially vulnerable. It even feels more terrible losing your shelter when your ability to earn an income has now reduced as a result of advancement in age or other reasons.

When your basic needs are met, you are in a positive emotional state and motivated to be more productive. This is why the end police brutality protest agenda includes demanding improved remuneration and better living conditions for officers of the Nigerian Police. Force.

READ: Thrive Agric: “Where is my money?”

The Psychological Needs: Ever wondered why some people buy houses on certain streets and neighbourhood? While there are several reasons, chief on the list is because they want to belong and remain within a certain societal class. Psychological needs are the esteem, belonging and love needs. We crave these emotions at varying degrees and want to have them fulfilled. Real estate is a tool that is used to meet these needs. You have been using real estate to meet these needs and you do not even know it! You derive esteem or have a sense of belonging to a certain class when you occupy or use real estate in certain locations.

READ: Landlords offer incentives to counter “work from home” induced vacancy rates

There is also the case of perception. Sometimes, people will only regard you based on your house or property investment location on the earth’s map. In many cases, people will only do business with you because your office has a certain address. Apart from the perks of having a Victoria Island business address, it is also to meet these psychological needs.

READ: Everything you need to know to become a real estate investor

The Self-fulfilment Needs: Self-actualization is achieving one’s full potentials or attaining a high level of creativity. The Dangote Foundation once donated ₦1,200,000,000 worth of student accommodation to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Going by the history of the foundation’s activities, finding a deeper level of fulfilment is at the core. By that donation, he has contributed to a people-centred purpose.

While donating accommodation facility deriving a sense of fulfilment, a basic need for the students is being met using real estate. The students will be getting an education with some level of comfort. It then becomes easy to get more creative because there is now shelter besides security.

READ: DEAL: Custodian Investment agrees to buy majority stake in UPDC

If you have not taken investing in real estate serious before now, it is high time that you begin to. It is a convertible tool that meets almost all human needs. Real estate makes being a human being possible. It delivers emotional fulfilment. It supports the essence and existence of life.

Therefore, you should pay attention to how you invest in real estate and convert it to meet your needs. Especially if you are not satisfied with the status quo or you are ambitious. Extracting optimum value from real estate does not happen by chance. It requires intentionality.

READ: Key things to consider when investing in real estate investment trusts

5 simple ways to be intentional about real estate investing.

• Know how you respond to real estate. We respond to real estate differently and this has been proven by research.
• Check what you know about real estate investing and deriving value from it. While some people are fine with just having a home, you may want more than having a home. How you approach cash flow generating real estate is different from how you approach home-ownership in Nigeria.
• Be real estate investment literate. Even when you plan to just buy a home. Due to real estate investment illiteracy, people end up losing their homes despite all the sacrifice to own one. You don’t want to have that experience.
• Read biographies of people who have legitimately extracted value from real estate. Remember it is universally convertible. For the ambitious investor, you can draw lessons from the experiences of other investors.
• Have a clear and relevant goal about what you wish to achieve using real estate. Your wealth goal is unique to you. Achieving your goal will also not be in an exact manner that someone else will achieve theirs. Find out what works effectively for you.

READ: Thrive Agric drama: What it means for Nigerian investment startups

How you see real estate and being intentional about how you invest in real estate, reduces waste of resources and incidence of loss as is now common. You are also positioned to extract optimum value from your investment.

Author Profile

Oluwakemi Adeyemo is a sought after real estate investment advisor. The expert who helps you to stop losing money in real estate. She delivers sure value real estate services using technology.

Her job is to get to know your investment goals and provide you with expert analysis on real estate investment options. She researches a lot, consults and scrutinizes real estate investments so you don’t have to.

She believes that real estate is designed to sustain human existence and it is the bedrock of wealth creation. Therefore she helps you gain real estate investment literacy which increases your confidence as an investor, shows you how to prevent losing money to optimize profit and create wealth.

https://www.assuredrealestateprofit.com/

IG handle https://www.instagram.com/realkemiadeyemo

Twitter handle https://www.twitter.com/realkemiadeyemo

The adverse effect of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take its toll on all sectors in Nigeria, including Aviation, Oil & Gas, and Entertainment amongst others and the Real Estate sector is not left out.

The changes made to the ‘8pm to 5pm’ white-collar jobs, due to the imposed lockdown as of April, 2020 has had a ripple effect on the sector. As the axiom goes, “When life throws lemons at you, make lemonades.” This exemplifies how corporate organizations in Nigeria have been able to turn the pandemic woes in their favour. In what seemed like a pipe dream about a year ago employers now grant access to their employees to work from home wherever possible.

READ: Is this Pandemic the death of coworking Spaces?

In one of the top Power distribution companies in Lagos, the staff rotate their ‘work from home’ initiative on a daily basis; such that when a staff resumes at the office today, they are scheduled to work from home the next day. In other notable cases, firms whose work description allows for it, the staff work from home permanently, unless when they have something imperative to do at the office premises.

This huge shift in the work structure has necessitated employers to rethink the need for their large rented office spaces, and many opting and negotiating for smaller office space, after their current rent expired.

READ: Experts state how COVID-19 affects Nigerian real estate sector

With a major shift as this, Property owners are bound to suffer some setbacks, especially at a time when economic hardship has made Nigerians penny-wise. They feel the weight and have been forced to brainstorm on possible solutions to keep their property generating money, or risk a large empty space of air for months and possibly years.

Nairametrics interviewed several Property Managers in Lagos, and some said it became non-negotiable for them to introduce attractive incentives, following incessant pleas by their tenants to reduce the rent, and in some cases have asked to share the office space with another tenant to reduce cost.

READ: Key ‘side-hustles’ Nigerian Bankers supplement their income with

Head, Administrative Department in an oil servicing firm around Norman Williams street Ikoyi, Lagos, John, explained that his firm had approached the property manager that it wanted to reduce the occupied spaces from three floors to a floor and half after the rent expired in July 2020.

He said, “We had to take the decision when it became obvious that we do not need that much space because more than half of our staff have been working from home since the lockdown. The truth is that they were more productive working from home than from the office. When we approached the property manager, initially he was delighted hoping to let out the space in no time. But when it dawned on him that more corporates were investing more in remote working or digital deliveries, he called back after two weeks, asking us to occupy two floors and reduce our tenancy period from 4 years to 2 years.”

READ: Bank’s Credit to Nigeria’s Real Estate sector hits 5-year low

In his own case, David, a property manager of one of the e-commerce pharmacies, told Nairametrics that the property owner, who he represents, also agreed to focus more on flexibility in leases and much shorter terms, especially as the pharmacy decided to shut two of its centres, as it introduced instant delivery service where orders could be placed via WhatsApp or phone calls during the lockdown.

He said, “The new normal in the real estate sector is that several corporate firms had realised they could achieve more either working from home or implementing innovations like instant delivery after orders were taken via social media tools.We had to consider flexible leases because it is better to get something from them than seeing vacant office spaces for months or years.”

READ: Working from home: Nigerian bankers share their experiences  

Post-COVID: Experts share expectations

Estate Intel, a real estate and construction information portal

In its recent report titled, ‘Nigeria’s Real Estate and COVID‘ it stated, “The future of work has always been remote, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the pace at which traditional workplaces consider this option. Remote work options are expected to become a more standard requirement from employers, leading to lower space requirements and offices more focused on collaborative spaces. Many landlords have been incorporating attractive tenant incentives to remain competitive in recent years but we expect incentives moving forward to focus more on flexibility in leases in lieu of creative discounts.”

Suzanne Oluwole, Partner at Trillium Real Estate

“Occupiers and investors are adopting a maintain status quo stance where possible, whilst they wait and see. The full effects of the disruption caused by the pandemic still to come will transcend any shock wave the economy has ever faced before, and real estate is not immune. The trajectory of recovery we had been experiencing has been greatly affected and because this time it’s global, it may take some time to return to pre-COVID-19 levels.”

In all, it is expected that reduced usage due to the lockdown and pandemic will encourage occupiers to request concessions, while uncertainties will slow decision making.