Accessing real estate investment in Africa has long been a challenge for everyday Nigerians and diaspora communities alike. High entry costs, opaque processes, and the persistent threat of fraud have left aspiring investors sidelined.
Many would-be investors remain excluded from a market that has historically favored the wealthy or those with insider connections. These pain points underscore the critical need for a platform that is both trustworthy and accessible.
In this edition of Techparley’s Drive100, we explore APPreciate, founded by Ibrahim Fawaz, a B2B2C platform that is reshaping real estate investment in Africa by leveraging digital technology and AI to lower barriers, enhance transparency, and connect investors directly to verified property developers.
“We’re solving the problem of limited access, lack of trust, and high entry costs in property investment. Many Nigerians in the diaspora and working professionals at home want to build wealth through real estate but face barriers like fraud, unclear processes, and poor access to verified opportunities,” says Fawaz Ibrahim, Founder and CEO of APPreciate.
What You Should Know About APPreciate
APPreciate is designed to democratize property investment by making it accessible to a wider audience beyond high-net-worth individuals. The platform allows investors to purchase fractional units of verified real estate, enabling participation even with smaller capital.
This approach not only reduces financial barriers but also mitigates risk by diversifying investment options.
The platform is powered by an AI-driven recommender system that assesses user profiles, investment goals, and property performance metrics to provide tailored suggestions.
It also features a peer-to-peer resale marketplace, allowing users to sell their fractional holdings and unlock liquidity without waiting for traditional real estate cycles.
Real-time tracking of property appreciation adds another layer of transparency and user engagement.
“We make property investment truly accessible by allowing users to invest in fractional units of prime, verified real estate. This lowers the barrier to entry, removes middlemen, and ensures every transaction is transparent, secure, and trackable in real time,” Ibrahim explains.
APPreciate’s multi-faceted approach not only empowers investors but also benefits developers, offering faster property sales, access to a broader pool of verified investors, and increased credibility.
Bridging Gaps in the Real Estate Industry
Africa’s real estate ecosystem has historically faced challenges including fragmented access, low trust, and inefficient transactional processes.
APPreciate addresses these systemic gaps by creating a direct connection between verified developers and everyday investors, while integrating AI to help users make informed, data-driven decisions.
“Most platforms simply list properties or allow crowdfunding, but APPreciate connects verified developers directly with everyday investors and uses AI to make smarter and safer investment decisions,” Ibrahim notes.
The platform resolves two core pain points, first, the lack of trust in property investment, which it addresses through verification processes and partnerships with legal experts; second, accessibility, by allowing small-scale investments that were previously impossible for average investors.
This dual approach creates a holistic solution that benefits all stakeholders in the real estate value chain.
Progress, Milestones, and Market Traction
Since its inception, APPreciate has achieved several significant milestones.
The purchase of its first property at Pearl Estate, Ido, Ibadan, speaks of operational maturity, while beta testing with early users is providing valuable feedback for refinement.
Partnerships with verified developers and legal experts ensure compliance and transparency, addressing investor concerns and building credibility.
“These milestones show that APPreciate is moving from vision to reality, creating real value for investors and developers across Africa,” Ibrahim emphasizes.
The platform has also gained recognition through selection to pitch at the Global Entrepreneurship Festival, participation in the ALX Ventures Accelerator, and shortlisting for investment by Baobab Network.
These achievements highlight investor confidence and market validation, positioning APPreciate as a credible player in Africa’s emerging proptech sector.
Meet the APPreciate Team
APPreciate is led by Fawaz Ibrahim, Founder and Product Designer, who brings extensive experience designing AI-centered enterprise products for top African companies such as Moniepoint, Sterling Bank, and EcoBank.
His design expertise ensures that the platform is intuitive, accessible, and user-friendly.
Co-founder and CTO Allen Akhaumere leads AI engineering and backend development, bringing technical proficiency in building scalable, data-driven systems.
Together, their complementary skills in design, technology, and real estate enable APPreciate to deliver an end-to-end investment solution that meets the needs of both investors and developers.
“Together, we are combining design, technology, and real estate expertise to make property investment simple, transparent, and accessible for everyone,” Ibrahim explains.
The team’s combined experience also includes legal compliance, user education, and market engagement, which are critical for sustaining trust in a historically opaque market.
APPreciate’s Challenges and Solutions
Building credibility in a market prone to real estate scams has been one of APPreciate’s most significant challenges.
The platform addresses this by partnering exclusively with verified developers and maintaining a strong legal framework for property validation.
“One of our biggest challenges has been building trust in a market where real estate scams are common. We overcame this by partnering with verified developers and creating a strong legal team to verify every property,” Ibrahim notes.
Another challenge is user education. Many potential investors are unfamiliar with fractional real estate investment and AI-driven recommendations.
APPreciate addresses this by providing clear communication, intuitive interfaces, and an AI-powered recommendation system that guides users through the investment process step by step.
Vision: 6–12 Months, 2–3 Years, and Beyond
In the short term (6–12 months), APPreciate plans to expand its beta program, onboard additional users, and add more verified properties to its platform.
In the medium term (2–3 years), the startup aims to scale across major Nigerian cities and other African markets, building a robust network of developers and investors.
Over the next five years, APPreciate envisions becoming Africa’s leading real estate investment platform, offering transparency, flexibility, and financial empowerment to everyday investors.
“In 5 years, we envision APPreciate as the leading platform for real estate investment in Africa, making property ownership accessible, transparent, and profitable for everyone,” Ibrahim declares.
Talking Points
APPreciate stands as a promising evolution in Africa’s proptech landscape, addressing long-standing barriers to real estate investment through technology-driven solutions.
By combining AI-powered recommendations, fractional property ownership, and verified developer partnerships, the platform tackles issues of access, transparency, and trust, challenges that have historically excluded average investors.
Its B2B2C approach is notable for simultaneously empowering investors and developers, creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem.
However, the platform operates in a market where user education, regulatory clarity, and digital literacy remain uneven, which may impact adoption and scale.
While APPreciate’s focus on transparency and security mitigates some risks, sustaining investor confidence and managing operational complexities as it grows across multiple African markets will be critical.
Overall, APPreciate exemplifies innovation with social and economic relevance, demonstrating how digital solutions can broaden participation in wealth-building sectors while highlighting the importance of careful execution and stakeholder trust.
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