Get ready to be inspired by the movers and shakers of the business world! These trailblazers are breaking barriers, setting trends, and driving change. They are the most influential business leaders to watch out for, taking the world by storm. Among these influential leaders is Chetan Hayer, the Managing Director of Hayer One Group.
With a passion for real estate development that started at a young age, Chetan’s expertise in the industry has made him a force to be reckoned with. With his solid foundation in civil engineering, he has successfully established Hayer One Group as a leading real estate development company in Kenya. His unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and value creation has earned him recognition in the industry and placed him at the forefront of the business community. Chetan Hayer is one of the most influential business leaders to watch out for, and his story is nothing short of inspiring.
A Passion for Real Estate Development
Chetan has always had a passion for real estate development, which he attributes to growing up next to his father’s construction site in the suburbs of Mumbai, India. His father ran a modest development business, and Chetan was exposed to the industry from a young age.
During his undergraduate studies, Chetan studied Civil Engineering at Mumbai University, which he found to be a great experience and provided him with a solid foundation for his future endeavors. Despite not initially planning to pursue this field, he discovered that his passion for real estate development grew stronger as he gained more knowledge and expertise in the industry.
A Change of Plans
After completing his undergraduate studies in Civil Engineering, Chetan pursued a master’s degree in the United States and worked at KPMG in Boston. However, his true passion had always been real estate development, and he dreamed of becoming a successful developer one day. Unfortunately, Chetan’s father passed away in 2005, leaving him responsible for caring for his mother and younger brother. As the eldest male member of the family, Chetan felt a strong obligation to ensure that his brother completed his master’s degree in the US, which was his late father’s wish.
After completing a successful project and in the midst of planning two more in Mumbai’s suburbs, Chetan began feeling limited by the market size. In 2009, he got married and went to Nairobi, Kenya, a trip sponsored by his kind sister. While exploring the city, Chetan noticed a need for more high-quality real estate at a reasonable price. He saw an opportunity to build high-quality real estate and sell it at a competitive price, but it would require a significant risk to move his life savings and start a new one in a foreign country. With the help of a supportive wife, Chetan decided to take this plunge to see what happens.
Adaptations in Nairobi
Chetan initially planned to do one real estate project in Nairobi and then leave, but he quickly fell in love with the city and its potential. However, being an African city, Nairobi presented some inherent challenges, which Chetan had to learn and adapt quickly. As a passionate real estate developer but not a typical businessman, Chetan faced many hurdles that could have destroyed his dreams. He had to learn life lessons, adapt to the challenges, and move on to keep his dream alive. Despite the difficulties, Chetan persevered and continued building high-quality real estate in Nairobi.
Chetan believes that Nairobi has the potential to play a significant role in the growth of the African continent. From his first project, the company grew and transformed from an “I” to a “we” and from “me” to “our.” His attitude of using “world learnings” as his guide allowed him to see every adversity as an opportunity.
He has led to completing five projects and is working on the sixth, doubling the project size with every new one. With senior management and board of advisors in place, Hayer One Group has become one of the most prominent real estate developers, with a sizable customer following. Its projects have won global property awards; two have earned landmark status, becoming leading examples in the respective spaces.
Transforming Real Estate with Uncompromised Quality
Hayer One Group is a real estate development company in Kenya with its roots established since 2011 with a vision to revolutionize the perception of quality in the sector. The company is committed to creating value for all its stakeholders, including investors, employees, contractors, suppliers, bankers, and most importantly, it’s customers. Hayer One Group believes in teamwork, loyalty, innovation, and quality, which drives its culture and ethos.
Hayer One Group’s consultants, contractors, and suppliers work tirelessly to deliver the highest standard product at the best value proposition. The company’s focus on staying ahead of the curve and doing things differently has led to the constant pursuit of improving the technology of execution, quality of finishes, and holistic amenities space.
Hayer One Group aims to provide respectful, thoughtful precision in developing living areas. The company’s developments offer space, privacy, and amenities. Hayer One Group’s unfaltering commitment to value creation is evident in the thoughtful layout of its sites. The company believes that quality is the key to assuring its clients of an excellent return on investment. Hayer One Group strives to improve Nairobi’s skyline, one benchmark development at a time.
Focus and Unique Services
- High-rise Residential Spaces
Hayer One Group focuses on developing high-rise residential spaces in Nairobi, focusing on providing quality amenities to enhance the resident experience. The company has witnessed a rise in demand for such properties, and hence, its developments now feature high-rise buildings of up to 25 floors. The Marquis, one of the largest residential development projects, is a notable project with several amenities to improve the resident experience. Hayer One Group believes investing in such features is critical in increasing the value of its properties and rental yields.
- High-rise Commercial Spaces
Hayer One Group is also considering the improvement of high-rise commercial spaces in Nairobi. It has delivered one of the most successful Grade A office spaces called The Address. It is a combination of design, planning and execution when done with an integrated team produces high value in commercial spaces. By integrating these processes, the company has gained more control over product quality, cash flows, and customer service, enabling it to provide a better experience to clients.
Vision for Continuous Improvement
Hayer One Group aims to enhance its customers’ experience by improving transparency throughout purchasing, delivering, and managing an apartment. To achieve this, the company is pursuing efforts to implement global standards of corporate governance, ensuring that its operations are aligned with international best practices.
Recognizing that its customers are well-traveled and expect higher sustainability standards, Hayer One Group is committed to sustainability. The company’s focus aligns with global trends and ensures that its products meet the expectations of its discerning clientele.
Challenges and Success
Chetan initially faced a major challenge that taught him business fundamentals. He realized that to be successful in real estate development, he needed to become a businessman. Despite feeling conflicted between his passion and being a pure businessman, he learned that basic business principles were essential to executing successful real estate projects.
Over the years, Chetan has understood that planning and executing a product with fundamental business principles can result in a successful real estate project. Though he still considers himself more of a passionate real estate developer than a businessman, he acknowledges that the two roles are intertwined in the industry. For the past 14 years, he has been a real estate developer, bringing his civil engineering and business expertise to the industry.
Three Approaches to Sustaining Real Estate Growth
Chetan has identified three approaches contributing to the company’s sustained growth.
Firstly, the company places a strong emphasis on customer service. While it acknowledges that it is not perfect and has room for improvement, the company is dedicated to serving its customers and continuously improving its products. Timely delivery of the projects is an area where it works to improve. Still, it is proud that its real estate products have provided good rental yields and steady price appreciation.
Secondly, passion is a driving force behind the company’s success. Hayer One Group is passionate about building high-value real estate, and this passion is evident in the design and execution of its products. This contagious passion has permeated the entire organization, creating new business opportunities.
Finally, relationships and trust have been critical in the company’s journey. Despite facing uncertainty and challenges, the relationships and trust the company has built over the years have sustained it. While the trust can be broken in some instances resulting in some losses, the company believes that the benefits of trusting others outweigh the losses.
The Business Scenario Post-Covid
As the world continues to grapple with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the business community has faced numerous challenges. Inflation rates have surged, and the credit environment has tightened, leading to a sense of caution across industries. According to Chetan, more profound levels of commitment and increased transparency are necessary across the board with bankers, suppliers, sub-contractors, and customers. It is crucial to have open and honest discussions to navigate the challenges and rebuild confidence.
Real Estate Development is a capital-intensive business, and the pandemic has decreased confidence due to undelivered or under-delivered projects. Therefore, Hayer recognizes the importance of maintaining a higher level of commitment towards successful project completion. To improve its product offering and customer experience, Hayer One Group has incorporated learnings from the pandemic into its future design, execution, and financing strategies. With a renewed focus on transparency, communication, and commitment, the company hopes to enhance investor and buyer confidence and succeed in the post-Covid business scenario.
Importance of Workforce
Chetan understands the vital role played by the workforce in business growth. From the beginning, Hayer One Group has had a conservative approach towards team building. It prioritizes a long-term mindset while creating a team since any of its projects last 4 to 5 years.
According to Chetan, a close-knit team develops good chemistry with each other, which helps them navigate tough times like post-Covid and inflation. This chemistry leads to producing high-quality products that drive value and wealth creation for buyers and investors. Hayer One Group encourages a spirit of togetherness, family hood, and accountability. The company balances rewarding performers and encouraging those who need improvement. The company has various heads of state managing the teams, and there is a constant focus on improvement through vertical and horizontal communications.
Notable achievements
Hayer One Group has completed five successful real estate projects under the leadership of Chetan, out of which two have gained landmark status in Nairobi. The first project is The Address, a 23-story commercial high-rise Grade A office space highly sought after due to its location, design, and ongoing management. The second project is The Marquis, which consists of two towers of 25-story floors each, making it one of Nairobi’s most significant residential developments. The project stands out due to its location and design and the vast number of amenities, which sets a new trend for future residential developments in Nairobi. These projects have contributed to driving buyers’ wealth creation through real estate.
The Power of Innovation
Innovation is crucial for business growth, and Chetan believes in this. Hayer One Group has witnessed the impact of innovation in its business journey. For instance, the company has seen a significant improvement in the quality of materials used in its real estate projects and the speed of execution, resulting in a better experience for its clients. Additionally, technological innovation has enabled it to achieve remarkable results, such as reducing the time taken to cast floor slabs and making buildings more sustainable.
Moreover, innovation is crucial for the real estate industry and prevalent daily. It has significantly improved the quality of living and life experiences. For instance, swimming pools that were once considered a privilege are now a basic necessity. Providing a plethora of amenities have become increasingly popular, and design aspects of buildings have significantly improved to make them greener and sustainable.
Favorite Quote
Chetan has three favorite quotes that inspire him. The first one is by Walt Disney, “The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.” This quote motivates him to take action and not just talk about ideas. He believes that taking the first step is crucial to achieving success.
The second quote that inspires him is, “If you work with determination and perfection, success will follow.” This quote emphasizes the importance of hard work and perfection in achieving success. Chetan believes that determination and dedication are essential to accomplish any goal.
Lastly, he finds inspiration from Dhirubhai Ambani’s quote, “Between my past, the present, and the future, there is one common factor. Relationship and Trust.” This is the foundation of Hayer One Group’s growth. This quote highlights the significance of building strong relationships and trust in business. Chetan considers building and maintaining relationships with clients, partners, and employees – the key to business growth.
Quote
“Hayer One Group’s primary goal is to provide respectful, thoughtful precision in developing living areas.”
