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Judy Rugasira Kyanda, the Knight Frank Uganda Managing Director is many things— a trailblazing entrepreneur, an industry leader, a thought leader and a mother. She is one of Uganda’s foremost property management professionals, if not the best as well.
Judy is also a commercially and technically savvy Chartered Surveyor, a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, a Fellow of the Institution of Surveyors of Uganda and a registered member of the Institute of Real Property Valuers in Rwanda.
She holds a BSc (Hons) in Land Management, from the University of Reading, in the United Kingdom in 1995, she briefly worked for Mason, Owen and Partners, a firm of Chartered Surveyors in the United Kingdom before returning home in 1995 to work with Associated Consulting Surveyors. She later went back to the UK to pursue her Master’s degree in International Real Estate, still at the University of Reading. It is during this time, that she was head-hunted by Knight Frank- one of the world’s largest property firms in the world to lead their entry into Uganda- both as Managing Director and partner.
That was in the year 2000.
Many a graduate would have preferred to remain in the United Kingdom, especially since she already had a promising job and career there, but Judy had more than one reason to come back home- some personal and others patriotic.
“It was a combination of the weather and my father’s passing that compelled me to fast-track my return back home. But also I strongly believed I was ready to come back and contribute to the growth and development of the surveying profession. My intention was never to stay in the UK, but to get an education and come back and put that knowledge to the test,” she told CEO East Africa Magazine in an interview.
On why she chose to partner with Knight Frank instead of setting up her 100%-owned enterprise, in what was then a sector teeming with opportunities, Judy has this to say:
“Their value proposition was good, and I resonated with the values and behaviours of the organization. I also recognized that I could leverage a strong established brand to disrupt the modus operandi of the property market. I also recognized that I wanted to tap into global clients, and it would be easier to access them through a globally recognized brand like Knight Frank.”
“It is always important to see the bigger picture beyond short-term gains and self-importance. Much as it is great to see my name on the company signpost, i.e., Judy Rugasira & Partners, the short-term gains of that were outweighed by the long-term gains of leveraging my expertise and knowledge on a 100-year-old brand to effectively and significantly impact both the local and global market,” she recalls.
Now, looking back at the nearly 22 years, that she has been running Knight Frank Uganda, it surely has been a mutually beneficial relationship.
She has built Knight Frank into a household name and industry leader in property management, overtaking all the other independent players such as Bageine & Company as well as Associated Consulting Surveyors, her former employers.
Key services by the company, include facilities & asset management, valuation and advisory, occupier services and commercial agency, residential agency, retail management as well as research & consultancy.
Today Knight Frank Uganda has over 1,400,000 sq ft of commercial and residential portfolio as well as USD320 million worth of retail assets under management.
Since its inception, Knight Frank Uganda has served over 700 clients and has since 2019 carried out USD1.5 billion worth of commercial property valuation instructions from a wide range of clients.
Some of the key properties managed by Knight Frank under their retail portfolio, include Acacia Mall, Victoria Mall, Arena Mall and Village Mall. The office portfolio includes Course View Towers, Zebra Plaza, Lugogo One and Trust Towers, while the residential portfolio includes properties such as Marigold Heights, Windsor Apartments, Lubowa Apartments and Regina Estates.
The company employs more than 90+ people, whom Judy, prefers to call “seasoned and astute property professionals.”
A 22-year journey I would do all over again
According to Judy- it is not the business she has built or the market leadership she has been able to drive, but rather the skills transfer that Knight Frank, under her 22 years of leadership has been able to impart upon Ugandans that is her biggest achievement.
“As earlier said, one of my main reasons for coming back home was to ensure that I play a proactive role in professionalising estate agencies in Uganda. I came back when the market was fraught with many irregularities and estate agents were taking advantage of clients,” she narrates.
“There was no regulation or control of the market or profession, and it was a free for all. Through Knight Frank, I have been able to introduce global best-practice standards in our services, and train and develop many property agents and managers who have since gone on to start their businesses on a foundation of professional and ethical standards gleaned from their training at Knight Frank. I take great pride in this achievement,” she emphasises.
We asked, her, if, looking back at her 22 years at Knight Frank, this was a journey she would do all over again, and she replies: “without a doubt.”
On why anyone would choose Knight Frank and not any other firm, Judy is quick to say the firm’s value proposition is captured in their tagline- Your Partners in Property.
“Customers are at the heart of everything we do- and this is not just jargon, it is what we do. Our teams strive every day to always be responsive to customer needs and available whenever we are needed,” she points out.
“We believe an exceptional property service should keep the client at the center of what they do. It sounds obvious, but this human element of buying and selling property is often overlooked. That’s why providing a service that is personalised to a customer’s exact needs is central to our business philosophy,” she stresses.
She adds that over and above Knight Frank’s global reach- with 384 offices across 51 territories, the firm also brings to the game a wide range of dedicated and specialised competencies, “no matter how broad your property requirements are.”
“As the world’s only independent real estate partnership, the experience we offer is always backed by industry-leading expertise. We are proudly local with a deep understanding of Uganda’s property market but can call on the support of a global network. Our advice is informed by the latest market insights and analysis, while cutting-edge technology provides every advantage to ensure the best results, in the best time,” she adds.
“Last but very critical to this business, we communicate with openness and transparency, and we operate with integrity and in an advisory mindset,” she says.
Lessons learned and building a Knight Frank of the future
After building what is, by all means, a successful business and setting a strong foundation, Judy now says her focus is on “creating and handing over the organisation to a very strong and competent team who will grow our market share and have fully fledged satellite offices in all the cities of Uganda and other big districts.”
“I would also like to see the organization diversifying into other service lines away from the traditional ones of valuations agency and property management to construction, development and metaverse real estate,” she adds.
On what valuable lessons she has learned over the 22 years she has been at the helm, especially about leadership, Judy has this to say:
“Leadership is about serving. It is not a destination but a journey. I have also learnt that leadership evolves and changes at different stages of the journey. It is not static, and one needs to be flexible to manage different characteristics and attributes of those that we manage. One size doesn’t fit all.”