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Success in real estate comes when investors feel both informed and empowered. The industry today calls for blending decades of collective human expertise with cutting-edge technological advancements. This inevitably creates an environment where investors can strategically scale their portfolios, backed by both data and trusted guidance.
However, the real estate industry still faces a dearth of professionals who are well versed with emerging technologies. Johlene Bradley identified this gap and founded proptech platform, Scale Real Estate Partners to help real estate professionals not just survive but thrive in today’s digital-first world.
Supported by the foundation of her Bachelor’s degree from Pearson Professional South Africa, where she was introduced to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, Johlene’s work reflects passion for property, development, and creating meaningful impact. For her, success is drawing harmony between building herself professionally and personally while living fully on her terms.
What led you to pursue a career in real estate? Tell us about your professional journey.
Starting out by studying for a BCom at Person University, I enrolled in an entrepreneurship module not knowing it would define my career path and shape my future. That experience taught me the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and paved the way to my first employment.
After university, I dove straight into the property sector and instantly knew it was my path. At a body corporate management company, my responsibilities then spanned annual AGM and trustee meetings, budgeting, and overseeing daily operations such as invoices and payments.
Following my first job, I stepped into the PropTech world with WeConnectU. During the course of my employment, I wore many hats from operations, to marketing to leadership. I experienced the firsthand challenges scaling operations on a larger scale. It made me realize that I wanted to make a tangible impact, helping others grow their businesses. I learned quite early on that such impact is only possible when one is surrounded by the right team, equipped with the skills and mindset to implement systems to deliver results.
Introduce us to Scale Real Estate Partners. What key responsibilities do you shoulder as Founder & CEO of the company?
The idea and concept of Scale Real Estate Partners came from observing firsthand how real estate companies struggled to keep pace with new technologies and AI integrations. Recognizing the shortage of skilled professionals in this space, I founded the company to ensure that innovation translates into practical impact.
Starting out as a one-person operation meant I had to wear many hats: that of an administrator, strategist, marketer, and consultant. This experience was vital to my growth as it became an opportunity for me to grow from ground up. As the business expanded, I appointed a team that ensured smooth operations. This allowed me to focus on clients individually, ensuring they always felt the personal touch that defined our brand.
Success is an amalgamation of purpose, integrity, and excellence in all you do.
What challenges do you encounter while leading Scale Real Estate Partners? How do you navigate through these roadblocks?
A key difficulty that I face in my current role is balancing daily operations while making space to nurture my team members and help them grow beyond their daily responsibilities. But between client meetings, consultations, and administrative work, it can be difficult to carve out time for individual development. This has led me to often bring team members into client sessions along with me, so they can observe real interactions, the language we use, and the tailored advice we give.
We also face external pressures, particularly around compliance. With compliance rules evolving periodically, the burden often falls on businesses and clients to invest in new systems and processes, adding layers of complexity and financial strain to an already demanding industry.
How do you foresee South Africa’s real estate and property management landscape evolving?
In South Africa, PropTech has moved well beyond its early stages, with local players offering solutions that extend far beyond basic accounting. Features like application management, integrated valuation, and advanced reporting are already in play. It is promising to witness these platforms grow smarter with AI-driven innovation. Agencies remain competitive by adopting these tools, staying ahead of trends, and leveraging PropTech as a strategic advantage.
In my opinion, the rental sector remains the largest and most resilient part of the property market. Its ability to weather economic cycles creates strong potential for developers. While more young people are exploring ownership, demand for rentals continues to rise and shows no signs of slowing down.
Looking back, which professional milestones are you most proud of? What is your ‘success mantra’?
One of my proudest achievements has been establishing Scale Real Estate Partners and taking that leap of faith as a young woman in the industry. Personally, success has never been only about revenue and numbers; it is about creating meaningful impact. The ripple effect that transforms into value for clients, families, and communities is what I find truly rewarding.
For me success is rooted in a simple philosophy: build with purpose, lead with integrity, and scale with excellence. The core of my business journey has been to keep my vision tied to values. This alignment strengthened my move to become Managing Director of Bowen Art Properties while I balanced family alongside, proudly building a future for myself.
I am writing a book and building Her God-Given Hustle, a network that helps women entrepreneurs balance personal and professional aspects to lay strong and firm foundations.
Johlene Bradley, MD, Scale Real Estate Partners
Recognized for her innovative approach, Johlene Bradley aligns her entrepreneurial drive with ever-evolving technological advancements. Her work is demonstration of how real estate firms can overcome challenges and scale effectively when supported by the right amounts of insights, systems, and human connections.
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