Meet Our Senior Saleswoman, Alemgena Shiferaw at Noah Real Estate!

Given the few years of its presence in the real estate industry (less than a decade), Noah Real Estate has been the sole supporter of many families, providing them a place to call home or creating job opportunities for many. Alemgena Shiferaw, an energetic, inspiring, and hardworking saleswoman, has worked at Noah Real Estate for eight and a half years. She joined the sales team of the company 10 months after its establishment. In our delightful chat, she narrates her successful journey as a sales representative and the company’s progress and expansion.
"I began my sales career at Noah after a recommendation of Rateneh Fassil, with whom I had previously worked for about a year." Alem fondly remembers how she first started. “After 14 years of my school life at St. Mary Girls School, I joined Addis Ababa University School of Commerce to study Procurement and Supply Management. It was not my field of choice per se. But I have managed to see it through. After graduation, I worked here and there. I've also lived abroad for a while. After returning to Ethiopia, I joined Noah Real Estate, which was a great opportunity given my passion and drive for the job.”
Alemgena shared her lengthy stay at the company in the most endearing way there is. “Noah is like my first baby,” she pauses. “I have stayed for so long because I have been here for all the great moments of the company. I have been here for the challenges and great successes along the way. I have witnessed the design phase, the beginning of construction, and the culmination of the buildings' completion and delivery to clients. So yes, I feel like Noah Real Estate is my first baby which may have begun squeezing through at the most unfavorable time for Ethiopia's real estate industry, but has grown into a dominant brand to even pave the way for many others in the market.
By the time Alemgena joined the sales team, Noah Real Estate had almost finished up the sales of Jember villas and proceeded to Elob Residential Apartments around Bole Mini. This enthused saleswoman still remembers her first sale as being yesterday. “At that moment, our selling slogan was ‘You can move into your apartment in the afternoon after buying it in the morning.' And yes, we made that possible. So after talking with me, my customer entered with cash and purchased his first home. That was a magical day for me. I saw my abilities and skills and myself striving for more. And the most exciting part of it was that the same customer bought 7 houses from Noah Real Estate in the later years. And each time I was the sales representative he came to see me to finalize his purchase. You may never know how well you did your first time, but I think this was a true reflection of the trust and satisfaction we gained from our clients.” Alemgena also expresses satisfaction in her job since it has given her so many families with whom she can share her life.
Alemgena, who is now a married woman and a mother of two, describes the challenges she faced over the years as a stepping stone for her later successes and improvements. “Rejection is a big part of the job,” she continued. “During the early years, it was hard to hear “no” after consulting a client. You may even take it personally whenever it happens. Back when I started, I took it as something undermining my skills and knowledge. But now, it is merely a challenge. It is part of how you grow. You keep seeing ways to convert the "no" into a "yes” whenever that happens.”
As we posed the challenge of what could be the reason why many women are not part of the business world, especially after starting a family, Alemgena shared her exhilarating experience of being able to maintain all the responsibilities of being a wife, a mother, and also a woman in business. “I see this as an issue, not only in our country but also in many parts of the world. And I am inclined to say, we sometimes underestimate our capacity as women. Well, there are multiple factors for becoming a successful working mother, including your partner and workplace, but your passion for your job, family, and even a better future for your children is a driving force for pursuing it more. And I strongly believe that we are capable of managing it. I, for one, do this even with my kids. I talk about my job, I let them be part of the experience with site visits, and so much more. That helps the process. Most of all, my husband made all these things easier for me. He is my supporter in every possible way. He cheers me on to go forward and beyond. And I am eternally grateful for that. But for the rest, I think we should keep motivating each other as women in business. And we should never underestimate our capabilities, no matter how.”
As we close up our interview, Alemgena shared her thoughts on where Noah Real Estate would reach in the coming 10–20 years. “It is a reality that we are a leading brand in the real estate market-based in Addis Ababa now. Buying a house is not something you take lightly, wherever you are. And by selling over 7,500 homes, I believe we have made a significant difference in the market. With this being a success, I am sure we will spread to many parts of the country. We will have many more projects based in major cities and also in quiet residential areas of the countryside.” She went on further to thank her bosses: Mr. Rateneh Fassil and Mr. Abiy Hailemariam, for their guided support and encouragement (even mentorship) for her better achievement in the job. She also expressed her gratitude to her husband, who made this tough journey easier in every regard. And most of all she praised God for everything that has happened in her life.
Alemgena Shiferaw, a senior saleswoman at Noah Real Estate, narrates her career journey as “Not Enough." She is, yet, much more enthused and inspired to achieve more. She also owns an apartment at Noah Green Park which will be delivered in 2015 E.C.
If you would like to reach Alemgena, please contact her at- 0929 41 79 74.
Design| Build| Deliver- Noah Real Estate!