Buzzing into action...
PropTechBuzz, the preeminent digital marketing platform for real estate professionals, is delighted to present this exclusive podcast episode, where host Ravi (Founder and CEO at PropTechbuzz.com) welcomes Mrs. Vicky Sampah, a trailblazer in the global real estate and proptech sectors, to shed light on her remarkable journey and pioneering efforts to transform the African real estate market.
With 20-plus years of experience, Lady Vicky is an esteemed real estate professional, educator, consultant, and influential figure dedicated to leveraging technology to drive change and institutional development across the African continent.
Vicky’s global mission in real estate is to advocate for institutional development and advanced technologies in Africa. Besides that, she formed the Ghana Real Estate Professionals Association and has also served as a consultant, working in conjunction with ARELLO in the review and amendment of real estate laws in Ghana legal author of laws in the sector.
She has recently initiated the development and implementation of the Xchange MLS software, which is a multi-regional country, multi-language, and multi-currency multiple listing platform with syndication capabilities for the African property market. The aim is to encourage cooperation and collaboration within the African continent and among all real estate professionals in Africa and beyond. An initiative in alignment with Africa’s free trade initiative to make real estate dealing across borders more accessible than ever before
Sampah also initiated and hosted the Africa Real Estate Conference and Expo (ARCE Conferences), an annual conference and exhibition to encourage the Africa Real Estate Conference and Expo (ARCE) as a networking, forming partnerships and innovation catalyst between Africa and the world.
She stresses partnership, technology, and sustainability as elements capable of unleashing fresh growth opportunities for the African real estate sector.
Originally hailing from Ghana, Mrs. Sampah’s real estate career took root when she moved to the United States. Armed with an MBA in marketing degree and determination, she quickly became a top-producing agent within her first year of getting licensed to practice real estate in the United States. This early success paved the way for her to work with renowned real estate firms like Coldwell Banker, Keller Williams, and Remax, providing her with a solid foundation in the industry.
Recognizing the immense potential beyond residential sales, Mrs. Sampah established her company, selling, leasing, and managing multi-use residential and commercial properties, investment properties, and special-use facilities (church facilities). She entered corporate America, working as a telecommunications tower leasing consultant, even for communication towers with T-Mobile, and thereafter with corporate real estate with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. Her diverse experiences and a second master’s degree in real estate from the U.S. equipped her with the knowledge and practical expertise to drive change on her home continent.
In 2008, amidst the financial crisis in the U.S., Mrs. Sampah turned her sights towards the booming African market. However, she quickly realized the need for more institutional structures to be in place. These included proper regulations, education and licensing, technology, and the establishment of a professional body to help regulate and advance the industry in Africa. E.D. practices in the region’s real estate sector. This realization sparked her mission to bring about transformative change.
Founding the Ghana Real Estate Professionals Association (GREPAAA) in 2011, Mrs. Sampah spearheaded advocacy, networking, education, and technology adoption initiatives. A significant milestone was her pivotal role in passing the Ghana Real Estate Agency Council Act 1047, which laid the foundation for regulating and professionalizing the industry.
One of Mrs. Sampah’s most significant contributions was the creation of the Xposure MLS, Africa’s first multiple listing service (MLS). Recognizing the need for professional practices, data collection, and cooperation among real estate professionals, she introduced this groundbreaking platform six years ago.
The Xposure MLS with its consumer-facing platform, loopghanamls.com, not only facilitated efficient property listings and transactions but also paved the way for international syndication through a bilateral partnership with the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in the U.S. This collaboration facilitated the listing of Ghanaian properties on the prestigious Realtor.com international consumer-facing portal, thereby broadening their reach.
Building upon the success of Xposure MLS, Mrs. Sampah is now spearheading the development of XCHANGE MLS, a game-changing platform designed to revolutionize property transactions across Africa. This ambitious initiative aims to create a unified, multilingual, and multi-country MLS portal, enabling seamless cross-border real estate transactions.
A prestige relationship engineered and built through Sampah’s initiative in connecting Africa to the Global World was Officially signed and sealed on November 15, 2015, in San Diego, California, by NAR President Bill Brown and GREPA leadership and witnessed by members of the Ghanaian Parliamentary Select Committee of Works and Housing. The agreement spells out mutual benefits to both organizations, including using the REALTOR brand and trade missions and tours.
In addition to her entrepreneurial skills, Mrs. Sampah organizes the Africa Real Estate Conference and Expo (ARCE), which she holds twice a year. This event was widely attended and aimed at networking, policy discussions, and consideration of sustainability, proptech, and fintech.
While ARCE has stayed in Ghana for the past four years, its vision envisions a region that extends beyond national borders, aiming to rotate its location among many other African countries and bring global experts to the continent.
The facet 2024 ARCE, named “Proptech, Fintech, and Sustainability,” will occur in Ghana from April 3 to April 5, to set new benchmarks. As preparations are in the final stages, the exhibitors, sponsors, and speakers from different countries like the U.S., Nigeria, and South Africa are lining up to be a part of this event, where they will be showcasing the latest innovations from their companies and collaborating, bringing the international community together.
Recognizing the value of collaboration, ARCE came together with ProptechBuzz, a forerunner in property technology, to launch a dedicated private community. These people will carry on the dialogue, involve participants, and stimulate collective interest in African real estate in the future.
Through openness and inclusion, Mrs. Sampah and PropTech Buzz have extended the technological advancement conversation globally to include real estate industry players, innovators, and all other stakeholders who want to be part of the African infrastructural revolution.
The ARCE 2024 exhibit and the Exchange MLS launch, with Mrs. Viska Sampah’s unwavering commitment, are set to lay a solid foundation for positive change in the African real estate industry. Through her forward-thinking initiatives, she paves the road to tomorrow’s future, where high technology, collaboration, and sustainable practices flourish, opening new doors for growth and opportunities all over the continent.
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By Proptechbuzz
By Ravi Kumar
