One of the world’s most successful businessmen, John Paul DeJoria, once said,
“The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is the successful people do all the things the unsuccessful people don’t want to do.”
“When 10 doors are slammed in your face, go to door number 11 enthusiastically, with a smile on your face.”
Prince Mutai’s affinity for real estate and perseverance while making his way to the top are good reasons why he deserves the success he is today.
Mutai is the founder and Chief Executive officer of Prince Capital Properties, a real estate company that specializes in investment consultancy, property management, design & build, and leasing of luxury homes.
His success in entrepreneurship did not happen overnight, and he had to walk a long journey of tears, sweat, and blood.
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Born in Kericho County, Mutai enrolled at Soliat Boys High School for his secondary education. He excelled in his national papers, winning him a chance to join Masinde Muliro University in 2010.
He graduated from the institution in 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in Disaster Management and International Diplomacy.
“My University years were amazing, the 4 years were more of self-discovery than studying to get good results. I met fellow students from different walks of life and participated in many charity events.”
“Peace Ambassadors Kenya (Now Pambio) is dear to me as it helped me build confidence in interacting and even airing my opinions without feeling vindicated,”
recalled Mutai.
Armed with papers and skills, Mutai did all he had to do to make money to build his mother a house. His mother had raised him and his one sibling singlehandedly, and so Mutai wanted to pay for the sacrifices she had put in.
While his wish was to construct the house within three years, things did not pay off, and he had to wait for four more years before his dream was finally accomplished in 2020. It took him two years to complete the house.
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“The entrepreneurship journey began at Balloon Ventures in Nakuru in late 2014, where fellows from Kenya and UK were tasked with training micro-budding entrepreneurs to innovate and grow their businesses,”
he added.
Alongside his two friends, the trio synergized their skills in executing their roles, which helped them stand out in crowded opportunities.
In 2015, Mutai moved to Nairobi with a promise of job opportunities after applying for many jobs in vain.
He did online phone sales with a friend with whom they later collaborated in setting up their own shop at Bihi Towers, which runs to date under the umbrella of Citikom Systems.
Two years later, Mutai was determined to actualize his real estate dream and establish a better version of himself. He solo-footed to found Prince Capital after failed partnerships.
And just like Dejoria puts it, “Any business you start, be ready for it,” and Mutai was ready for his business which has since employed 5 individuals.
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“All along, I was keen to venture into the Real estate business as in America, 90% of all millionaires became so through owning real estate. I yearned to be a player in this industry,’’
he said.
He added that the beauty of entrepreneurship lies in meeting and interacting with other individuals with whom you share similar visions.
However, Mutai noted that the real estate sector is prone to con men, who employ various tactics to trick unsuspecting buyers. He pointed out the need for due diligence to avoid losing money.
“The challenge is shamba la mawe is shamba la mawe, you can get easily get conned. One cannot venture without a plan, and real estate is basically a long sales cycle; one deal can take months to close. Without proper contracts, developers, landlords, and rogue agents can refuse to pay your share. I have lost money this way as well.’’
According to him, to make it in entrepreneurship, one needs to innovate their business ideas, test them and build structures, build a strong network, have mentors, and have a steady cash flow.