Hanna Afolabi
This October, in honour of Black History Month, we’re celebrating 31 Black professionals in property. Today we’re celebrating Hanna Afolabi (née Osundina) MRICS.
Hanna is the Managing Director at Mood and Space and the Founder of Black Women in Real Estate (BWRE). Hanna’s journey wasn't without challenges. Studying architecture, she found it difficult to adapt to the culture as a Black woman from a low socioeconomic background. An opportunity to work in Lagos, Nigeria, provided her with incredible support and perspective, reshaping her approach to her career. Hanna emphasises the importance of building relationships, finding mentors, and networking skills that helped her overcome the industry's gender gap in leadership.
Hanna preferred project management over architecture, returned to the UK to work for Peabody Housing Association, marking her introduction to development and regeneration. In summer 2022, after a decade in the industry, Hanna launched Mood and Space. She aimed to create a company that supports clients in embedding social value in development vision and strategy. Her ambition has led to recognition as one of EG’s Rising Stars 2022, a Black British Business Awards 2022 Rising Star finalist, and a listing in Bisnow’s 41 Women in UK Real Estate.
At Mood and Space, Hanna leads a development company that supports clients in creating their development vision and strategy, efficiently managing processes to deliver exceptional buildings and urban neighbourhoods. Specialising in development management for large-scale regeneration projects, her experience includes working as Development Director for East Wick and Sweetwater, a circa £860 million mixed-use regeneration scheme on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which includes 1,859 homes and 20,000 sq ft of non-residential space. Hanna also serves as the vice chair of the University of Greenwich’s Construction, Property and Surveying Practices Industry Advisory Board and is a member of Estates Gazette's Diversity & Inclusion Content Advisory Panel.
Hanna founded BWRE to connect with other Black women in the property industry after struggling to find peers in her immediate network. She is passionate about racial and gender equality and hopes BWRE will foster connections and support among Black women. BWRE was launched in November 2019 as a safe space for Black women to network and support each other across the industry.
She is inspired by books like Michelle Obama’s "Becoming" and Kanye West’s "Jeen-Yuhs" documentary, Hanna draws strength from tenacity and the drive to achieve her goals.
Hanna’s journey shows her dedication to empowering others and pushing for equality in the industry. She encourages the next generation of women leaders to keep fighting for equality, take up space, and be audacious in their pursuits. We are excited to see how Hanna continues to inspire and lead in the property industry.
