Today we’d like to introduce you to Chief Oniya.
Chief, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
“Being a first-generation African American sales professional has taught me so much as an individual and as a realtor. There have been several occasions where I have been more qualified than other candidates- sold double the amount of units, higher volume homes – overall just a stronger track record and have been not hired,” he said. He experienced racial discrimination, but it did not stop him to overcome and overwhelming adversity. There was a time that he was hired solely because of his skin color, where clients just feel they need to support black business. He truly believes that the qualifications in hiring someone should be based on the skills, experience, and the quality of service they can provide for the clients no matter the ethnicity or religious affiliations.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being an African American, he was resilient and equipped with perseverance, which he attributes to his success. “There have been times where I would have sellers open the door for a listing appointment then say they were not interested and close the door in my face. There were other times where I had sellers tell me, I thought you were white or you sound very white on the phone, and they were shocked when I sat down with them.” Chief said. There Was even a memorable encounter where he was asked to remove his face in the marketing material presented by the divorcee because of his race. Ethnicity was the challenge for Chief as discrimination is still alive today. Several instances have tested his morals which puts him in uncomfortable positions, but what is important for him is his profession and what he does.
Please tell us about The Oniya Group.
Oniya enjoys helping families net the most amount of money in the least amount of time. The effective exchange and return for him is not only an achievement but also his motivation. He always utilizes the latest technology to ensure all his clients are in the best position possible and not participating in what he refers to as “Chasing the market: but rather “leading the market”.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
“It takes a village to raise a child”. If I could do it all over again and differently, I would have wish I had a mentor earlier in my career.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7114 FM 1464
#340 Houston TX - Website: www.TheOniyaGroup,com
- Phone: 832-674-0503
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Chief_Oniya
- Facebook: Tunde Oniya
Image Credit:
American Dream, Real Producers, Houston Business Journal, Chief Oniya
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