East of the River

Realtor Profile: Taiwo Demuren

An entrepreneurial real estate agent

by: Jessica White

Taiwo Demuren, 44, has an entrepreneurial bent which took him across three countries on three continents, ultimately landing him and his family in the Washington, DC region.

He began his career in real estate as a civil engineer in his native Nigeria, where he worked for a large construction company in Lagos, Nigeria’s capital. His family is from a region of Nigeria called Ijebu in western Nigeria. “Ijebu is not an oil region. It used to be known for its cocoa and rubber, and some farming,” said Demuren. Demuren grew up in a city called Ibadan, where his father was an engineer, and his mother was an elementary school teacher and principal.

In search of a better life, Demuren and his wife, Fola, left Nigeria over twenty years ago and settled in London, England. “Both my wife and I have family there. We both come from large families, and we both had brothers and sisters in England. Some went there for school, others went after graduation and settled there permanently,” Demuren stated. “Our first son was born in England,” said the father of four. Demuren now has three sons, aged 17, 12 and nine, and a twenty-month old daughter. “My father is still in Nigeria, and I visit Nigeria every couple of years.”

“In London, I was the on-site engineer for the construction of a major hospital, the Chelsea on Westminster. I was there from the demolition to the hospital’s completion – about three years.

In Nigeria and in England, Demuren invested in real estate. “In England I was a landlord; I bought properties to hold onto for the appreciation and rental income,” said Demuren. “I still have properties there,” said Demuren, who visits London yearly.

Demuren and his family moved from London to the DC region about thirteen years ago. “I had a twin sister who lived in Baltimore at the time, and my wife and I had other relatives here as well,” Demuren stated. His wife started her own healthcare company as a nurse/midwife. As for Demuren, he decided to try something new. “I did not want to be an engineer here. It’s too seasonal in America, and it does not pay. I also didn’t want to take all of the certification classes,” stated Demuren. “And I always enjoyed my work in construction more than my work as a civil engineer because construction is full of challenges on a daily basis – no matter how long you’ve been doing it,” Demuren said.

So, he got his real estate license, and, the following year, started his own company, Daimler Inc., specializing in property management and development, as well. Currently, Demuren is a realtor with ReMax and is licensed in Maryland and the District of Columbia. “Most of my business is in DC,” said Demuren, who loves working in the District “because it has character and incorporates everything, not like suburbia.”

“I like meeting people and helping them achieve their dreams. Sometimes, they are emotional and I have to show them the pros and cons, work with them…” said Demuren, whose main clients are investors. “I like making them money,” he said. “I simplify the process for them. I am able to do it because I have been there before and I am very creative and hands on.”


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Realtor Profile: Taiwo Demuren
An entrepreneurial real estate agent
by: Jessica White
Taiwo Demuren, 44, has an entrepreneurial bent which took him across three countries on three continents, ultimately landing him and his family in the Washington, DC region. He began his career in real estate as a civil engineer in his native Nigeria, where he worked for a large construction company in Lagos, Nigeria’s capital. His family is from a region of Nigeria called Ijebu in western Nigeria. “Ijebu is not an oil region. It used to be known for its cocoa and rubber, and some farming,” said Demuren. Demuren grew up in a city called Ibadan, where his father was an engineer, and his mother was an elementary school teacher and principal. In search of a better life, Demuren and his wife, Fola, left Nigeria over twenty years ago and settled in London, England. “Both my wife and I have family there. We both come from large families, and we both had brothers and sisters in England. Some went there for school, others went after graduation and settled there permanently,” Demuren stated. “Our first son was born in England,” said the father of four. Demuren now has three sons, aged 17, 12 and nine, and a twenty-month old daughter. “My father is still in Nigeria, and I visit Nigeria every couple of years.” “In London, I was the on-site engineer for the construction of a major hospital, the Chelsea on Westminster. I was there from the demolition to the hospital’s completion – about three years. In Nigeria and in England, Demuren invested in real estate. “In England I was a landlord; I bought properties to hold onto for the appreciation and rental income,” said Demuren. “I still have properties there,” said Demuren, who visits London yearly. Demuren and his family moved from London to the DC region about thirteen years ago. “I had a twin sister who lived in Baltimore at the time, and my wife and I had other relatives here as well,” Demuren stated. His wife started her own healthcare company as a nurse/midwife. As for Demuren, he decided to try something new. “I did not want to be an engineer here. It’s too seasonal in America, and it does not pay. I also didn’t want to take all of the certification classes,” stated Demuren. “And I always enjoyed my work in construction more than my work as a civil engineer because construction is full of challenges on a daily basis – no matter how long you’ve been doing it,” Demuren said. So, he got his real estate license, and, the following year, started his own company, Daimler Inc., specializing in property management and development, as well. Currently, Demuren is a realtor with ReMax and is licensed in Maryland and the District of Columbia. “Most of my business is in DC,” said Demuren, who loves working in the District “because it has character and incorporates everything, not like suburbia.” “I like meeting people and helping them achieve their dreams. Sometimes, they are emotional and I have to show them the pros and cons, work with them…” said Demuren, whose main clients are investors. “I like making them money,” he said. “I simplify the process for them. I am able to do it because I have been there before and I am very creative and hands on.”