Farook Mahmood Chairman & Managing Director, Silverline Group

Farook Mahmood, has been in the real estate business for over 35 years. He was born in a business family of Bangalore with a lineage of two centuries that hailed from Gujarat (Kutch). Farook joined the family's furniture business in 1979 and in next few years diversified the business into real estate broking, property investments, land banking and investment in long-leased commercial assets. While he started from scratch in his father’s business - Furniture House Agency, experience soon taught him that in property dealings trust is what mattered.   One of his first transactions was a property he sold in Whitefield, Bengaluru. The property inspection was fixed and he cycled 20 km to the site. At the end of the deal, the landlord refused to pay the two percent commission of Rs 1,600 because the client and landlord happened to know each other! After a great deal of negotiations, they paid a one percent commission of Rs 800. This experience enlightened Farook. The other experience that moulded his acumen involved a teacher who used her life savings to buy an apartment for Rs 75,000. She came to his office with a box of sweets & a cheque towards his brokerage and thanked him for his services. After the transaction, she referred him to her friends who wanted to either buy or sell property. There was no looking back after this. The business grew by leaps and bounds. His younger brother Zahed Mahmood joined him as a partner. Clients from different parts of the country flocked to Silverline Realty Pvt Ltd for their property requirements.   Farook has been certified TRC- USA, and holds a Diploma in Real Estate principles and practice from University of Fullerton, Los Angeles, California, USA, His interests include golf, collecting antiques, travel and initiatives with charitable institutions. Silverline Foundation, a family trust, looks after the social and economic needs of the weaker sections of the community and society. It offers scholarships and medical assistance. Farook was elected for a five year term on the Central Wakf Council (Constituted by Government of India) was also engaged in the development of WAKF properties across India, which amounts to over USD 40 billion. It grants aid to its member states, provides interest-free education loans, has women welfare program and is involved in planning and advice for the activities of boards across the country. He was also one of the Founder Directors of the National Wakf Development Corporation Limited (NAWADCO) and the Honorary Vice Chairman of The Al Ameen Educational Society (Having over 150 Educational Institutions and educating over 60000 Students).   Farook Mahmood is one of the founders of Bangalore Realtors Association of India (2000) and served two terms as its president. Taking Bangalore’s success to the national level, Farook served as the founding president of National Association of Realtors India in 2007 and was the Chairman of 7th NAR-India Convention held in Bangalore in 2015 and is currently Vice Chairman and Chairman - International Affairs of National Association of Realtors India.   In support of NAR-India’s efforts to join the global real estate community, Farook was appointed as the group’s representative Director to the International Consortium of Real Estate Associations (ICREA) in (2008). In 2012 Farook was elected Chairman of the ICREA board. Farook is a member of the Global Real Estate Think Tank and serves as an International Adviser to the Board of FNAIM (France). He is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS).   Farook became active in FIABCI with the formation of the World Councils in 2011 and has served on the FIABCI Board in various capacities, and been a fragment of Judging the Prix De Excellence and Grand Prix of Real Estate FIABCI-USA. He was elected as Vice President of FIABCI World Council of Brokers (WCB) and is the current World President Elect of FIABCI and will be its President in May this year in Andorra and has been a signatory with the Arabic Chapter hosting the next World Congress in Dubai in 2018 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.     Success comes to those who are professional, dedicated and transparent in the real estate industry. I owe my success to my clients who trust me. I have strived hard to build this trust and goodwill, and this has been my success formula. I don’t align with any developer and my clients are assured of unbiased advice that is in their best interest.