When the Bizna Kenya team arrived at his home in Limuru, Kiambu County, George Simiyu, a real estate magnate, could be spotted at a distance standing at the edge of a glass balcony, sipping an espresso on a Chilly Saturday evening.
“Welcome to my ‘tiny’ space,” he jokingly says as he welcomes us into his opulent mansion, with a warm smile as inviting as the tea plantation views behind him.
Clearly, from his luxurious property, Mr. Simiyu doesn’t just sell luxury dream homes—he lives in one.
The businessman owns a multi-billion-shilling real estate empire, with luxury homes in various parts of the country, including Limuru, Athi River, Ngong, Ruiru, and Nanyuki.
The 57-year-old revealed that he developed an interest in real estate at a very young age, inspired by his father, who was a contractor.
After college, he took a sales job at a real estate firm, laying the foundation for who he is today. He would market the firm’s houses, sell them, and earn a commission.
He established himself as a reputable real estate agent, and this earned him trust from customers. After mastering the real estate business, Simiyu slowly started building his company.
He wanted to understand what people dreamed of -what made them fall in love with a house -and it was not long before he started making the dreams a reality.
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Simiyu founded Jiji Properties in 2006, a firm specializing in high-end residential properties. The homes include 3 and 4-bedroom villas with modern finishes, private gardens, and terraces, going for as low as Sh28 million.
“I’m not in the business of selling homes. I’m in the business of building time capsules. Places where people live their best memories,” he said.
One unique thing about Simiyu’s houses is the roofing design. The houses feature a similar roofing design and materials. He explains that he prefers pitched roofs due to their long shelf life and easy maintenance.
“Pitched roofs drain water efficiently and allow for excellent aeration,” he adds.
For Simiyu, he just doesn’t use roofing sheets from any supplier as he has, over the years, relied on Rhino Mabati Factory Limited as his main supplier.
Asked the reason, Mr. Simiyu said: “Rhino Mabati customizes their materials to fit the client’s needs, meaning you get your materials as you want them. The roofing sheets are also of high quality, and this gives me the satisfaction that I’m building something that won’t turn out as a disappointment to my customers,” he explained.
Mr. Simiyu added that the sheets have an excellent scratch-resistant property and are highly flexible yet strong, ensuring not just a classy look but also ease of installation.
Moreover, a special chemical coating on the roofing sheets ensures that water droplets are not retained, meaning zero chances of corrosion, guaranteeing excellent durability even in the heaviest rains and adverse climates.
Another excellent feature in the Rhino Mabati roofing sheets is the cross-linked molecular composition that provides an excellent finish colour coating that is fade-resistant.
The composition improves the flexibility and compactness of the coating, thus resisting cracks and flaking due to prolonged outdoor use.
Mr. Simiyu revealed that after making an order, the materials are delivered to the site saving him about 25 percent on offcuts.
As he plans to continue expanding his estate, Mr. Simiyu advised aspiring realtors to focus on customer satisfaction through quality products, rather than profit.
