Member Spotlight: Sally Rugano MRICS

How does RICS membership and being a regulated firm help in the scale of your business?

I’m registered with three professional bodies: two locally and the global one, which is, of course, RICS. The local bodies are the Estate Agents Registration Board (EARB) that regulates the conduct of agents in Kenya and then we have the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK).

RICS helps us to get a lot of international reach. If you're dealing with corporates and we are bidding for tenders, it gives us an edge because we are RICS-regulated. Being on Find a Surveyor we get clients reaching out to us from the UK and the US saying they got our details from the RICS portal. This helps with business referrals which can be quite challenging, especially here in Kenya.

How do you think being a small business owner has changed or evolved your leadership style?

I have learnt a lot, especially about managing teams. When I was employed, I only used to manage a very small team of agents, and that's what I knew best. Now I've had to start learning. When you specialise in one area for 10 years (which for me was Residential Sales and Lettings), you become rusty in other areas. I've had to really start researching, reading and attending forums that are provide insights on Valuations, facilities management and market research.

What are the added considerations that come with small business, when it comes to attracting and retaining staff?

When I graduated from university, I worked for a startup for two years before I joined a corporate and I’ve learned from both setups. I've seen a business owner nurture their vision from the ground up and communicate that vision to their team. At the same time, I have had the opportunity to work within a corporate setting which has helped me understand how established structures operate.

If you don't have that kind of exposure, your business might not go too far. I have also learnt that for an organization to grow, you have  to delegate, and you need to get the right people to delegate to.

As a startup, you might not have the right resources to employ the experts. For instance, if you need to produce regular market updates for your clients, you might not be able to afford it. So, you may employ a specialist on a consultancy basis at the beginning and, as the organisation grows, you can bring them on board on a permanent basis.

Working for a corporate has really helped in terms of networks because you're exposed to the right clients i.e developers, investors, ultra-high net worth individuals and more. You need to try and navigate how you can incorporate all of them into your business and grow with them without burning bridges.

What would you say the industry needs to do more of in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion?

For me, it has to start with the organisation, as an employer. If you look at our leadership, Head of Valuation is male, Head of Property Management is female, Head of Sales is female, and I am female. I really try to empower women and empower the community at large. 60% of my staff are female.

I also take part in a lot of mentorship programmes especially in universities. Every once in a while, I try to visit students and offer mentorship, especially for young females in the industry.

We also sponsor underprivileged girls in public schools and offer them sanitary towels . We also offer them meals during their exams period as most of them survive on one meal a day. Offering them food during the exam period helps boost their energy to perform at their best.

I'm very passionate about empowering women and encouraging them because my journey hasn’t been easy. I’m from a very humble background and so I'm driven by the passion.

What advice would you give to women who are starting their careers here, or want to get to where you are?

That's a very good question! Our industry is male dominated. As women, we often find ourselves taking on leadership roles both at home and in the workplace I’m a mother of three boys; a teenager, a 5-year-old and a 2-year-old, so I have  to leave the office and engage in a new role at home and this can be quite challenging at times.

I believe resilience and passion in what you do are key. I’m deeply committed to job creation in Kenya, empowering students, and mentoring the next generation of leaders, especially as we consider the needs of Gen Zs. In fact, about 40% of my staff are Gen Zs, and we strive to integrate their insights and the technology they bring into our work.

What are some of the barriers that continue to block women from advancing in the industry?

I believe one of the primary barriers is gender. From my experience, I've noticed that men often get promotions and recognition more easily which is a major contributor to the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles. Women in leadership also face challenges with work-life balance because they are expected to manage both their professional responsibilities and family obligations.

It starts with our responsibilities as women, because you have to be home and show up as a parent and then you have to show up as a professional as well. I think that's the first barrier. If you don't have a good support system, sometimes it can stop you from growing as a career woman.

I would encourage working on mental wellness too, because we carry a lot as women. I have to think about my employees and how they're going to provide for their homes every month. I have to think about my kids and how they're doing in school. I have to attend sports days. I think it's about mental well-being — we try to look after that in our company by offering hybrid working and allowing parents to have flexibility. Employees come into the office twice a week and work from home three days a week.

We also do a lot of team building activities — this is a forum for them to open up and share their challenges. We have weekly meetings where we look at everything from work to their well-being. We ask: “How are you at home?” If you're unwell, we'll give you sick pay. If you're a mum, we'll give you maternity support. If you're a dad, we will encourage you to go for paternity because they don't usually go.

As an RICS member, what do you think we could do more of to support small business owners in sub-Saharan Africa?

At Newpoint, we try to get graduate students from university and mentor them but onboarding them can be very expensive. So what you can do is consider small businesses because we should not be paying the same fees as larger, established firms. Maybe you could consider giving subsidies so we can onboard as many members as we can.