Not only in the conventional realms such as education and fashion but in every sector, corporate or politics, women have been proving their potential. Especially, the real estate sector which is perceived to be ruled by men has also started witnessing great women in the Board Rooms. Indeed, very few women are in the industry, but they never fail to bring something different to the table and stand as an inspiration. Roma Bajaj is a name worth mentioning among such praiseworthy personalities in real estate.

Carrying rich industry experience, Roma is part of the senior leadership team at Bajaj Real Estate which is a family business carrying the expertise of two generations. Presently, she heads business development at the company and has been recognized and respected as a perfect strategist and decisionmaker for the company’s growth.

To honour Roma as one of the top leaders in real estate, Women Entrepreneur India engages in an exclusive conversation with her. Kindly peruse the following snippet to know more about her journey. We sincerely hope that our endeavour will be able to motivate several young women.

What are some important features of your expertise as a leader in real estate?

My deep understanding of client demands and my ability to effectively communicate with all stakeholders, allows me to deliver on expectations and exceed them. I strongly believe in staying prepared ahead of the game by maintaining daily reporting and journaling to ensure no important tasks are missed and goals are achieved. Moreover, I set expectations and goals by paying attention to existing goals and making them a reality.

My curious nature and strong observation skills have allowed me to learn continuously to improve and drive better results.

Take us through your early journey and the prior industry experience that you bring to the table.

My journey to the real estate industry was a winding one, starting with a degree in MBA and then dropping off my efforts to become a CS. I initially wasn't sure if leading a business was my calling, but that all changed when I joined my brothers (Balram Bajaj & Mayank Bajaj) and was exposed to this industry. I fell in love with the work and was excited to deal with the industry's biggest client segment.

While the real estate industry was in dire need of a listening ear and a more organized approach, we saw an opportunity to fill that gap. By becoming a more empathetic organization, we're now setting a new standard in the industry and revolutionizing the way real estate businesses interact with their clients. I'm proud to be a part of the biggest change we're bringing to the sector.

"My strength is in understanding the demands of the clients and the developers, and also the team’s capabilities to ensure effective execution. I believe in doing what you love and love what you do."

What motivated the establishment of Bajaj Real Estate? Tell us about the brand’s best side.

The establishment of Bajaj Real Estate was driven by a desire to fill a void in the Raipur real estate market. People often had to look for realtors from metros like Mumbai, Bangalore, and others for their needs. Despite being a well-connected city, there were not many local brands excelling here and we wanted to make everything available in Raipur. We saw an opportunity to bring top-notch services to the city, to make it a hub for multinational brands, hospitals, education institutions, the F&B industry, entertainment facilities and more.

We are working our way to get all of it here with our expertise, network, research, and development – built in the 10 years of our journey. To sum up, our motto is to make companies aware of the city’s potential which will in turn boost the economy of the State and our country as well.

In a closer picture, our expertise is in Retail, Land, Investments, Commercial, and Warehouse spaces used for all purposes. We believe in presenting our customers with the best opportunities in terms of investment, value, and worth. Our aim is not only to fulfil our client’s unique requirements but also to build strong ties and long-term relationships in the process. In the past, we have worked with big names like Amazon, TATA, Starbucks, Haldiram’s, Westside, TATA Croma, Tasva by Aditya Birla, Lifestyle by Landmark Group, Tata Zudio, Reliance Digital, Tanishq, Senco Gold & Diamond, TBZ (Tribhovan Bhimji Zaveri), Anytime Fitness, IDFC Bank, MR. D.I.Y., BYJUs, Vishal Megamart, Apollo Pharmacy, Just Dial, Mahindra Logistics, Cummins, First Cry, Samsung and many others including international brands.

What would your advice be to fellow young business leaders and entrepreneurs of the future?

This is a question I ponder a lot and ask every other experienced person I meet. Fortunately, I've had the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the industry. And one thing I've taken away from these experiences is the power of self-belief and the importance of embracing failure.

What sets successful leaders apart is their ability to learn from their mistakes and keep pushing forward. And the most important thing is the quality of our lives often depends on the quality of our habits. So having a positive thinking mindset that if you want it then you got to work for it.

By staying consistent and making small changes, you can achieve big results.

Roma Bajaj, Business Development, Bajaj Real Estate

A curious learner, free-spirited leader, and spiritually-savvy individual, Roma admires the leadership of Radhika Gupta of Edelweiss, Falguni Nair of Nykaa, and Ratan Tata of Tata Group. The crux of her success journey is to Think Big & Achieve Big.