UNIVERSAL PROPERTIES ESTATE LEADER’S OF GAMBIA HOUSING INDUSTRY

One of the leading real estate developing agents in The Gambia, Universal Properties, which currently dominated the Gambia’s housing market barely a year after resuming business in full force.
This follows a brief business interruption to settle some internal issues with the British partners of the company.
In our maiden edition of Today newspaper Business Edge (BE), we spoke to the proprietor of Universal Properties Alagie Sanyang about his real estate business.

The company, established in 2009 by Alagie Sanyang, a young enterprising Gambian entrepreneur, offers quality services such as sale and letting of quality properties throughout The Gambia as well as complete range of property services including land purchase and land preparation, residential and commercial sales and letting, land purchasing for investment, property valuations, and mortgage advice.
Universal Properties was set up in March 2009 and since then the company has been making head ways in the real estate business by hitting the market successfully. Since its inception, the company has sold numerous plots of land in different locations.

In an exclusive interview with Today B.E. at the Kairaba Avenue based office, housed at the FIB Building, Mr Sanyang spoke extensively about wide array of service offer by his company; future plans as well as intention for Gambians.
“There are lots of good things coming out for our customers, especially those who were all along patiently waiting for the company,” he told Today B.E. in this maiden edition.

He said his agency already has a well developed estate in Brufut with 300 plots, which are affordable to low- income earners.
“At Universal Properties, our plan is to make housing available to every Gambian, whether rich or poor. We want everybody to have a home as part of our contribution toward national development of the Gambia,” he remarked.

According to Mr Sanyang, who is believed to be in his late 30s, said similar projects, like the one in Brufut, will soon kick start including the one at Lamin village and Coastal Road, where they are developing over 120 plots and 76 plots of land respectively.

Further talking to Today’s B.E, Mr Sanyang said: “The process of acquiring a plot of land from Universal Properties is very easy. We are located at FIB Building. Once you come here, we know what you have and we will find solution to all your land problems, and we will offer you our expertise in order for you to have a good plot of land,”


“There is no hidden transaction cost; everything is very transparent, as every single dalasi deposited the individual will be given a receipt for it. Our houses are affordable and accessible to everyone, so once you step in our office you will definitely go out with something,”

Flexible payment method

The payment method of Universal Properties is flexible and negotiable, Mr Sanyang says, adding that the method is very easy because with as low as D2, 500 per month one can have a developed plot of land.

“Sometimes we even negotiate depending on the condition, and sometimes we go below D2, 500 per month just to make home affordable for everyone,” he explained.

Despite the intense competition in the real estate sector, Mr Sanyang said Universal Properties controls the lion’s share of the market as a result of the agency’s unparalleled quality services they offer coupled with vast experience of his team in real estate business.

He said: “Though the market is very congested and there is intense competition, I am not moved because the real estate market belongs to Universal Properties for the simple reason that all my life I have been in real estate business, so I know how to do the business,”


“I started with the Premium Properties as the general manager. After some years there, with my experience and expertise, we set up Global Properties then I became the general manager and I now own Universal Properties; so no real estate can serve as a threat to me,”


Interruption due to misunderstanding

Mr. Sanyang said the brief interruption the business had was as a result of a little misunderstanding between him and his two British partners. “I see to it that I cannot continue with them for certain reasons,” he explained.
“There are so many reasons but in a nutshell the purpose of them being invited was not served, so I was no longer interested in them; that are why I just asked them to quit ensuring everything goes normal,”

However, he said, everything has been taken care of and now Universal Properties is 100% under Alagie Sanyang as the owner.

Henceforth, he said the company is a now 100% Gambian owned estate and has no foreign backing he said.
He makes it categorically clear that his real agency business was not closed but instead ‘sorting out certain issues with partners’,

Mr Sanyang also called on Gambians abroad to come and invest their capital in the country as a way of contributing to national development and reducing the unemployment rate in the country.

With Universal Properties, you can owe a house as low as D2500 per month, something unimaginable before. Interested individuals can contact the owner Alagie Sanyang on 9965304/ 6188888