A Journey of Resilience, Integrity, and Innovation

I was born in Chennai in the mid-90s, into a lower-middle-class family. My father, Selvaraj, was the epitome of hard work and determination. His journey began over 50 years ago when he arrived in Chennai as a child, with just a few paisas in his pocket. His family couldn’t afford to support his education, and so he had to fend for himself, taking up any job he could find just to make ends meet. Despite these challenges, he never lost sight of his dreams, and he was determined that his children would have the opportunities he didn’t. He made sure I received a good education, and I worked hard to make him proud, excelling in my studies and topping my classes.

About 25 years ago, he signed a significant deal for the layout development of almost 2 acres within the city—a massive investment that represented nearly all of the money he had earned. My father had big dreams for this project, believing it would take our family to the next level. But things didn’t go as planned. Bookings were negligible for over a year, and just as we were grappling with this setback, my father suffered a heart attack. At that time, heart attacks were not as well understood or treated as they are today. The doctors were slow to diagnose and treat him, and I still remember, as a toddler, the helplessness I felt seeing my father in pain—the only time I ever saw him cry.

The months that followed were tough. My father took time to recover, both physically and mentally. With all our money tied up in the property, we had to borrow to pay for his treatment. We were nearly back to square one. But my father was a resilient man; he had faced life-and-death situations before and was determined not to let this setback defeat him. After recovering, he made the difficult decision to sell the property at a loss and move on. Remarkably, the people who bought plots in that layout still thank him today, as the value of their investments has soared by over 1000%.

Undeterred, my father started again, this time focusing on smaller projects. He became known for his integrity, offering only legally sound properties at affordable prices and providing lifetime support to his clients. His reliability, genuineness, and straightforwardness earned him a solid reputation in our area. Even as the real estate landscape began to change, with increasing complexities and less trustworthy individuals entering the field, my father remained a pillar of honesty and reliability.

I began helping my father with his work when I was in my school days, and by the time I was in the 10th, we had bought our first home. The joy on my father’s face when we moved into our own house is something I will never forget—it’s a feeling that can’t be fully understood until you experience it yourself.

However, real estate wasn’t always smooth sailing. We faced challenges with tenants, unreliable owners, and legal battles that dragged on for years. For instance, we had an issue with a tenant who refused to vacate our home because the previous owner didn’t have a proper rental agreement. This led to a court case that lasted over 10 years. I also had to deal with unreliable sellers who took advance payments and then disappeared, leaving us no choice but to file complaints and pursue them through legal channels.

Through these experiences, I became intimately familiar with the workings of government offices—obtaining documents like patta, encumbrance certificates, layout approvals, and building plan approvals. It was during these visits that I first encountered the frustrating bureaucracy and the unreliable individuals who seemed to populate every office. Despite the challenges, I eventually found a few reliable professionals who knew their work well, and from then on, I worked with them to get things done efficiently.

Sellers often tried to hide critical information, such as proposed road widening, the history of the site, previous advances taken, zoning issues, double or triple documents, and whether a building was authorized. I even encountered cases where people falsely claimed to be the owner of a property, taking advantage of the fact that there were no Aadhaar cards or photos taken during registration in those days. We managed to navigate these challenges, but it was clear that the real estate field was becoming increasingly complex and filled with individuals who lacked integrity.

I pursued a degree in computer science engineering at SSN College of Engineering, driven by my passion for technology. Even while studying, I continued to assist my father with important meetings, registrations, and court cases. Things were going well, and my father successfully completed several layout projects. But in 2019, just before the COVID pandemic, my father suffered another heart attack and passed away.

Losing my father was a devastating blow. Our family’s world was turned upside down, and life came to a standstill for a while. My father and I had several ongoing projects at the time of his death, and I had to approach the people involved to resolve these matters. To my dismay, many of these individuals, who had been friendly and cooperative when my father was alive, now turned their backs on us. Some refused to return money or honor agreements, and I had to file legal cases against them. One particularly painful experience involved an elderly man, who refused to return the money he owed, stating he would only do so if my father came and asked him personally. The betrayal and heartlessness of these people were shocking.

As I began dealing with these challenges on my own, I realized just how tough and often deceitful the real estate industry could be. If it was this difficult for someone like me, with years of experience and knowledge, how overwhelming must it be for the average person? This realization drove me to create Verified.RealEstate—a platform designed to make real estate transactions transparent, reliable, and accessible to everyone.

With my background in technology and my deep understanding of real estate, I’m committed to offering a platform that not only simplifies the process but also empowers users with knowledge. My goal is to provide the kind of trustworthy, positive experience that my father was known for, to as many people as possible.

This portal is the culmination of years of experience, hard lessons, and a deep desire to make the real estate journey easier and more transparent for everyone. I hope that Verified.RealEstate makes your real estate journey a little smoother and more fulfilling. If you have any feedback, suggestions, or just want to say hello, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]. I’m always here to help and to continue building a platform that serves you better.

Thank you for being a part of our story. Together, we can create a brighter, more transparent future for real estate.