From Selling Candy to Selling Real Estate
By Hadiatou Wann | 11/23/ 2018
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Since the tender age of eight, Kadiatou Balde was drawn to selling. While girls her age played hide-and-seek, she convinced people to buy candy from her.
“I can sell anything,”expressed the licensed realtor who hails from Guinea, Conakry.
After earing a Business Management degree from SEGI University & Colleges (in Malaysia), she migrated to the United States June 2015 with a visitor’s visa and under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) benefit.
One afternoon, while Balde was hunting for an apartment, a man brought up the idea of going into real estate. Her intention wasn’t to come to the United States to become a real estate agent. But didn’t shun the idea of becoming one.
“I didn’t go looking for real estate, real estate came looking from me,” she hinted.
Her TPS was extended. Within a few months, she got married, then conceived her son. Since having a driver’s license was crucial for the career she was about to embark on, she added that on her bucket list. On her first attempt, she failed her driver’s license test. For 3 months she struggled and was confused. But in the end passed both her real estate and driver’s license tests.
Since Balde sprinted into the field of selling real estate (it’s been 2 years) she has sold more than 10 properties and made over $5 million USD in transactions. Although it is a field mostly dominated by men, this Guinean boss lady sees it as an opportunity to learn, grow and continue making money moves.
With her confident demeanor, she can walk up to anyone and make a sale.
“When I first met Kady, I did not want to sell my property, but her advice convinced me,” recalled Nathan Igbokidi, one of balde’s former clients. “She was very instrumental in getting my property sold at the right time, and at the right price.”
At some point Igbokidi wanted to change his mind due to some of his property’s shortcomings. But he didn’t give up because “[Balde] was very aggressive in marketing the property.” Within 4 months, Balde succeeded in getting Igbokidi’s property off the market.
Being a realtor gave her the means to purchase her own car and many other things. But giving back is a necessity for her. Instead of pocketing all her revenue, she made sure that the important people in her life also got a piece of the pie. She has been able to send money to her village every year and build a house back home for her parents.
For this realtor, true success also means helping others. She has big plans of assisting the next generation of Guineans. “When I make it, I just want to help my people,” Balde promised.
As much as she enjoys helping her clients attain their goals, being a wife and working mom can be challenging, as she attempts to sell property across New York. But she appreciates having the flexibility to spend time with her family.
This goal-getter admits that “there is a lot of struggle” in being a realtor, but to “go for it.” But most importantly, one has to love it in order to succeed.
The young girl that once found joy in selling candy, is now proof that if we are ever unsure about which career path to embark on, we ought to tap back into our childhood memories and pin point the activities that made us tick.
Welcome to Balde’s World
“If you don’t have ambition, you won’t achieve anything in life.”
“When you help people buy a house, you become a part of them. When they sleep in that house, they will always think about you.”
“I love spending time with my son. I am also trying to prepare his future.”
“Even when I was younger, I was always the one giving a hand...Always be kind. You have to give in order to get.”
Connect with Balde
Facebook: Kady Balde
Instagram: @iamkadytherealtor
Email: kadyhomesales@gmail.com
Website: kadyhomes.com
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