Entrepreneur Edgar Ueda, who grew up without access to clean water, shares his story of struggle and survival until becoming one of the top sales generators in Brazil
Edgar Ueda, a name that stands out in the Brazilian real estate market, shares his inspiring life journey and the secrets of his success. From a childhood marked by difficulties to becoming a renowned businessman, Edgar reveals the challenges he faced and the lessons learned along the way.
“One of the biggest challenges of my childhood was that until I was two years old, we lived in a makeshift tent, a type of tent without electricity or potable water,” recalls Edgar. “The only light we had was from lanterns. That’s a very challenging memory from my childhood. I started working at nine years old because my mother made beans to eat, and when I asked if she was going to eat, she started crying. That’s when I understood that there wasn’t enough food for everyone.”
Edgar describes how, from a very young age, he was forced to confront the reality of scarcity. “Based on scarcity and poverty, I had two alternatives: accept it or change it. I chose the path of change and transformation.” He recounts his first professional experiences, from delivering milk to working as a waiter, always learning and reshaping his mindset. “By the time I was 17 and started my first business, I had already faced failure. But every time I climbed a step, I realized I could achieve more,” he says.
In 2010, after nearly a decade in Japan, Edgar saw a unique opportunity in Brazil. “I was so enchanted with the market that it showed me, and I also realized it was a land of opportunity,” he comments about meeting a real estate agent friend. “I understood that there was a blue ocean, an unexplored market.”
Today, Edgar is one of the most respected professionals in the real estate sector. “The secret is a combination of factors. The first is your competence. The more you have a set of great skills in real estate, the more you stand out,” he explains about his approach. With an impressive sales history, “I’ve reached almost 10 billion in Gross Sales Value,” he emphasizes the importance of concrete results, as “facts over arguments.”