Bamidele Onalaja is a man of great ideas. He is creative. He is daring and he has set out to change the face of the real estate sector in Nigeria. He is the MD/CEO of RevolutionPlus Property Development Company Ltd. He started his real estate business 3 years ago, in a small shop on Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos, an office that could hardly occupy two persons.
After a while, he moved from Opebi to a 2 bedroom flat on Oladosu Street, Off Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos and has now moved to its permanent office, No 1 Olufunmilayo Okikiolu Street, Off Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos. The new office complex is bold and imposing. It is a lovely multimillion naira complex that is equipped with all the modern day office facilities. It’s a mouth-watering structure, built to standard. The house has been engraved “RevolutionPlus House”. It is a complex befitting of a leading real estate company like RevolutionPlus.
Bamidele Onalaja started his property business from the scratch. He started the business from zero naira but now sits atop a flourishing real estate company that is doing so very well. Few months back, his firm emerged “The Most Reliable Property Firm in the real estate sector”, at the 2017 City People Real Estate Award.
Last week Friday, City People Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE and Senior Property Reporter, ISAAC ABIMBADE visited his new office, during which he opened up on how he acquired the multimillion naira building and also reveals the success story of the firm.
We congratulate you on your new office! Why was there a need to move from your former office to this your new office, which is now your permanent office?
Thank you so much! Let me take you down to memory lane, the brief history of RevolutionPlus Property Company. We started this company exactly 3 years and two months ago. It is relatively young but we have been doing mighty things. We started from a small shop at Opebi, here in Ikeja. The office was so small, that it could only sit my Receptionist.
I remember how I hung at the lobby because the office was like a make-shift. I started from a very humble background. We moved from there to a rented bedroom flat in Ikeja, Oladosu Street, to be precise. Thereafter, we opened another new office in Lekki before we bought this big edifice and ultra modern office. We bought this property to let people believe in what we do.
It is good to have your own property because when people come and they know its yours, it brings confidence to people; that it is your property and you can’t run away. They will be so relaxed to give you their money and investing in your company.
They will also see a guardian in you because the office at which you use belongs to you. We have so many customers in the diaspora. When they come home, they will see us in our office and they would be willing to do more business with us because we can’t run away with their money. The main purpose is to bring succour and to bring confidence to our customers all over the world.
What are the various facilities that exist in the building?
Thank you very much. Like I said, the property is ultra modern; the reception area is topnotch. Our IT is one department that we take very seriously because the company is driven by IT, social media. Also, we have other big offices unlike our former office. In this new complex, we have over 10 different big offices. We have a large boardroom, we have big training room. In some weeks time, I want to start a free Real Estate school for everyone that wants to start real estate. I want to train people for the next few months, thereafter they may start paying.
It’s going to be like 5 different modules, different courses and different classes. We at RevolutionPlus, we are thinking of the future already, so that we can help the younger generation and everybody around the world.
As the CEO of this reputable company, when you move around town, what is the message you normally pass around to your potential customers?
As the Chief Marketing Officer and the Chief Executive Officer, because the vision emanated from me, the message I do pass across to my customers is the vision of the company and mission. Our mission’s statements is Integrity, Trust and Timely delivery. Those 3 things I pass across to our potential customers. We started from a very small estate and now, we have over 15 estates across Nigeria.
We have housing estates in Abuja, Lagos, Ogun, and we are expanding to Texas, Dallas in the US and all over the world. We are also in Port Harcourt. Revolutionplus is the No 1 real estate company and the most reliable property company. An award was given to us by City People Magazine at their 2017 Real Estate Award. We also make housing affordable to people. So, we provide affordable housing to people where (location) you can have rest of mind.
We have heard cases where people get duped while trying to buy real estates. But it is not the case at RevolutionPlus. We have been tested and trusted and people are very comfortable to give us their money. Another message I pass across to them is relax, we would deliver! And we have proven it over the years.
Can you tell us how you acquired this property and what you have spent so far?
The former building on this land was a shamble; It was a very old building, run down. So, we took over and bought it at multiple millions of naira. We have spent over 150 million so far, and we are still renovating it. We bought it from somebody we didn’t know very well but after, we got to know the person and he is now a friend.
We bought it over, the government came here and gave its approval. We renovated it and turned it around. Its just like pulling it down and turning it new. It is about one and half plot of land; about a thousand square metres.
Tell us more about the opening ceremony?
The opening of the complex was an avenue to launch it to the world. RevolutionPlus house is open for operation. People should come and do business with us with confidence and RevolutionPlus has come to stay in Nigeria and all over the world. We also dedicate the building to God for His mercies; thanking Him for His grace.
Tell us more about your new ambassadors?
Yes, we have a new Brand Ambassador. Madam Racheal Oniga is currently our Brand Ambassador and joining her is a popular hip-hop artiste, Adekunle Gold and they have been unveiled officially as the brand ambassadors of RevolutionPlus Property Development Company Limited.
