Sandra Nwachukwu
At PeopleDem property we believe in celebrating our community by spotlighting black excellence in property. Today we are celebrating Sandra Nwachukwu.
Sandra is a commercial surveyor and Director of Business Space Investment, Head Office London, at Savills. She specialises in the sale and acquisition of industrial investments across the UK, advising a wide range of clients including institutions, property companies, and private investors.
Her interest in real estate stems from its fundamental role in everyday life. People need property to live in, work in, store goods, and trade from. One of the most important decisions people make in life often involves property, which also explains its appeal as an investment asset. This attraction was strong enough to lead Sandra to leave the financial sector and study at the University of Westminster with the goal of becoming a property surveyor.
However, her journey was far from straightforward. Sandra originally set out to become a microbiologist, but in her final year of university she faced an unexpected setback: an administrative error at her secondary school meant she could not formally graduate, despite completing all the required work and even submitting her dissertation. Effectively, she was a microbiologist without the papers to prove it. Determined to rebuild her future, Sandra made a fresh start in London. During this transitional period, she became a mortgage advisor, combining her financial background with her fascination for real estate. But when the market crashed a year later, she made a pivotal career decision to return to university.
Sandra went on to graduate in Urban Estate Management from the University of Westminster and joined Savills in 2014. She initially worked in the Investment Management and Retail Investment teams before moving to the Business Space Investment team in 2016. Along the way, she won an internship with Savills in both London and Tokyo, an experience she describes as invaluable. It gave her the opportunity to study Japan’s real estate market firsthand, compare it with the UK’s, and deepen her understanding of global property transactions.
At Savills, Sandra has been involved in a wide range of projects. One that stands out for her is a development initiative in Lagos, Nigeria, where she helped plan a new waterfront area. Her research into the local property market and its key stakeholders, combined with a visit to the site itself, made it a memorable and rewarding experience.
Beyond her professional achievements, Sandra is also committed to giving back. She mentors A-level students and speaks to young people about the many opportunities in commercial real estate, showing that the industry has space for everyone regardless of gender, race, or age.
It is an honour to write about Sandra, who embodies hard work, resilience, and dedication. From starting as an intern to rising to Director, and from changing career paths to overcoming setbacks, her story is an inspiring reminder that there is always room at the top for those willing to persevere.
