Riya Mehta’s journey from a humble upbringing to becoming a recognized real estate professional in Dubai is a testament to her perseverance, adaptability, and relentless drive for success. Raised by a single parent, her early experiences taught her the value of money and the importance of resilience. “The zest to achieve big in life came from seeing a tough childhood where I was raised by a single parent. The bad days made me realise the importance of money and to achieve big things in life no matter what. I’ve always had this thing in me to not settle for the bare minimum, which pushed me to be where I am today,” Riya Mehta recalls.
Her foray into real estate wasn’t something planned. In fact, it was more of a trial and error, but destiny had other plans for her. Riya Mehta quickly realised that her sociable nature and ability to connect with people would be her greatest asset in this industry. “Real Estate was a trial and error for me when I first joined, but soon it became my destiny. I realised I’m very social, I enjoy meeting new people, and I understand people well. I can have a smooth conversation easily with a stranger. This pushed me to be in real estate. It also interests me as it is not a desk job; I’m always on the run.”Dubai, known for its fast-paced lifestyle and relentless business opportunities, provided Riya with the perfect backdrop to grow and establish herself in the industry.
One of her proudest moments came when she was able to purchase gold with her first income. “My biggest achievement is buying gold for myself with my first income in Dubai. It sounds small, but the feeling of independence while doing that was the biggest success for me. I can finally say that I’ve made it where people dream to be—that’s huge for me.”Before making waves in Dubai, Riya’s journey in real estate began with Piramal Realty in Mumbai, a company founded by Anand Piramal, son-in-law of Indian business tycoon Mukesh Ambani. Here, she was the youngest employee in a team that typically only hired MBA graduates. Without an MBA, Riya Mehta faced the challenge of proving her worth in a competitive environment. “I started off my real estate career with Piramal Realty in Mumbai.
Riya Mehta was the youngest employee there as they only hired MBA graduates, but I had just done my bachelor’s. The main difficulty that I faced was to understand sales and getting into the depth of the product and being updated with the numbers.”Despite these challenges, Riya continued to hone her skills, focusing on personal and professional development. “All I work on is my sales pitch, my personality development, behavioural changes, and practising calmness. All these help me to be more patient and understand my forte better and gel with client requirements and nature.” Her dedication to constant improvement has been one of the driving factors behind her success.Riya draws inspiration from fellow real estate professionals who have carved out a niche for themselves. Manpreet Kaur, a Dubai-based real estate agent, has been a particular source of motivation for her.
“Manpreet Kaur, a fellow real estate agent from Dubai, inspires me a lot as I’ve seen her growth from the very beginning. The energy and passion with which she does her job is commendable. I aspire to work so hard that my inspirations become my competitors.”However, Riya is not one to shy away from acknowledging her setbacks. Early in her career, she dabbled in the stock market, which proved to be a challenging experience. “For a brief period of time back in India, I tried the stock market, which was a major fail for me, but I learned patience from it heavily. It is a sheer game of control of emotions, and making sure that you keep a gentle and stoic attitude towards life, which also helps me in my real estate career.”
Through every experience, Riya has come to realise that self-reliance and independence are key ingredients for success. “The most important lesson that I have learned is that nobody will come and do anything for you. You yourself have to make changes in your life and take action to see different results. Independence is good, but it also comes with loneliness. If you rely on yourself, you’ll never be disappointed.”
Riya’s definition of success has evolved over time. Initially, success for her was synonymous with wealth, fame, and material possessions. But as she grew in her career, her understanding deepened. “Initially, success meant money for me. It meant a rich life, show off, and popularity. But with the course of time, I’ve come to realise that success is failing 100 times and still trying the 101st time. Success is small happiness. Success is your freedom, peace, a roof over your head, good food, and being surrounded by good people.
“If Riya could offer advice to her younger self, it would be simple yet profound: “Be shameless with your passion and make the most of every opportunity, even if you get judged by people. Have patience and practice self-improvement daily. Pray and eat healthy.”Looking to the future, Riya hopes to leave a lasting legacy in real estate, much like Bollywood icon Shahrukh Khan has in the film industry. “I hope my legacy will be like that of Shahrukh Khan in Bollywood but in real estate. I want to be remembered as the best-known real estate advisor in my profession. Fair to some, unfair to others, but I hope people remember me as a good soul who wants everyone to grow and be wealthy in life.
“Riya’s journey in real estate is one of determination, resilience, and self-belief. Her story serves as an inspiration not only to those in the industry but to anyone striving to carve out a meaningful and successful career. Riya has shown that with the right mindset, persistence, and passion, dreams can indeed become reality.
