Rafique Merchant: From Earning ₹2 Lakhs to ₹2 Crores | Real Deal | Real Estate Broker |

How did a man selling fitness memberships for a gym become arguably Mumbai’s most popular real estate influencer? In this episode of the Real Deal, I am talking to the energetic and candid ‪@rafique-merchant‬ From being unemployed to making INR 2 crores per year, Rafique shares his early struggles in the competitive and fragmented broking business. He talks about the reason why he started putting up property videos on social media platforms: Shortage of storage space in phones. He clearly calls himself a broker-influencer instead of an influencer-broker. Influencer marketing is at a very preliminary stage in India and he expects that trend to become deeper over the years. He points out to the controversy involving another popular broker-influencer Ravi Kewalramani and builder Chandak Developers over non-payment of brokerage due to the absence of a mandatory competency certificate. It's an open secret that Muslim home owners and renters have a tough time in getting a home in Mumbai. Rafique says it is an advantage to be a Muslim broker as he is candid and upfront on the ground reality to Muslim home-seekers. He points out that there is nothing wrong in that pattern as ‘Birds of a feather flock together.’ The brokerage industry will evolve in the coming decade according to him and there is opportunity for everyone to grow. 00:00 – 01:17 Intro 01:18 – 04:40 Fitness membership seller to Broker 04:41 – 10:52 What created Real estate Influencer marketing? Hint: Phone storage (Chunk) 10:53 – 12:40 Broker turned Influencer 12:41 – 16:10 Power of social media in real estate 16:11 – 19:55 Are cricketers, Bollywood actors good clients? (Chunk) 19:55 – 22:47 Struggles of a Broker 22:48 – 23:40 Debut as an actor 23:41 – 29:40 Earning 2 lakhs to 2 crores (Chunk) 29:41 – 33:27 Responsibilities of a Broker 33:28 – 38:54 Benefit of being Muslim in real estate (Chunk) 00:38:55 – 00:43:37 Resale or Primary market? 00:43:38 – 00:53:12 Why people hate brokers? 00:53:13 – 00:56:57 Status of Mumbai real estate 00:56:58 – 00:58:02 Rapid Fire