Vision to legacy: How Sade Balogun has revolutionalized home ownership in Nigeria in the last 23 years.

Vision to legacy: How Sade Balogun has revolutionalized home ownership in Nigeria in the last 23 years.

“Real estate is the art of turning soil into soul—transforming spaces into places where lives unfold, dreams take root, and legacies endure.”

This philosophy has anchored Sade Balogun’s 23-year journey in Nigeria’s dynamic property sector, a path marked by audacious vision and relentless perseverance. As her flagship venture, Amen Estate, approaches its 23rd anniversary in June 2025, the CEO of Redbrick Homes International Ltd looks back on a career that redefined urban living in Lagos and beyond.  

Her story began in 2002, when Lagos’s Eleko corridor was a mosaic of untapped potential and infrastructural uncertainty. Undaunted, Sade Balogun envisioned a community where luxury coexisted with practicality—a sanctuary for families. Amen Estate emerged from this dream, but its birth was fraught with challenges…..skeptics who dismissed Eleko as too far threatened to derail her plans. But today, the same Eleko is now the NEW LAGOS! With a fully functional modern deep seaport, the coastal road and a proposed international airport just kicking off.

“We weren’t just building houses; we were pioneering a new standard of living,” she recalls. With grit, she negotiated partnerships, self-funded roads and power systems, and slowly turned skepticism into belief.  

The early 2000s tested her resolve, but small victories became milestones. Completing Amen Estate’s first phase ahead of schedule, earned trust. Families began flocking to Eleko, drawn by secure, modern homes in a once-overlooked area. By prioritizing quality and customer-centric designs, Sade Balogun transformed Amen Estate into a symbol of aspiration—a catalyst for Eleko’s rise as Lagos’s premium residential hub aka the new Lagos.

Today, the Amen Series occupies over 400 hectares, its tarred roads, tree-lined streets and thriving communities standing as proof of her tenacity. Through Redbrick Homes, her influence now stretches nationwide, yet she remains grounded in her core belief: “Real estate is about people, not concrete. It’s the promise of safety, growth, and belonging.”  

Challenges persist—economic shifts and evolving client needs—but Sade Balogun thrives on adaptation. Her focus now extends to sustainable housing and mentoring young developers. “Legacy isn’t a destination; it’s a ripple effect,” she muses. “I want to empower others to build futures I may never see.”  

From rocky soil to thriving neighborhoods, Sade Balogun’s journey embodies the soul of real estate: a testament to how vision, nurtured by resilience, becomes legacy. As Amen Estate turns 23, her story whispers to every aspiring builder—*the land remembers those who dare to dream*.