With over 20 years of experience across every avenue of New York City real estate, Nadira Taylor has fostered a career rooted in care. As the founder and principal broker of Diamond Mine Real Estate, Nadira has centered affordable housing as a starting point for long-term stability and ownership.
Raised in Jamaica, Queens, Nadira brings a firsthand perspective to an industry defined by pressure, recalling her grandmother’s words: “If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.” Under her leadership, Diamond Mine has closed homes through affordability programs and helped families shift from tenancy toward homeownership, including guiding a family from homelessness to homeownership, all while maintaining compliance in one of the nation’s most demanding housing markets.
Nadira is deeply invested in mentorship, serving as president of the Queens, NY chapter of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers and mentoring through programs such as BE NYC and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative. In this interview, Nadira Taylor reflects on her journey into real estate, the philosophy behind her company Diamond Mine, and why she believes affordable housing should be a bridge to homeownership, not a permanent destination.
Her Agenda: After over a decade in real estate, what was happening in your life, or in New York, when you decided to take the risk of launching Diamond Mine?
Nadira Taylor: I’ve always been an overachiever, and when you put a lot of time into one side of your life, the other side starts to do without. I had my property management certificate from NYU, and as I continued pursuing my career, I realized I had a family and needed to spend more time with them. Working in compliance taught me that there are loopholes to everything. I learned that with my experience in real estate, I didn’t need to be a sales agent; I could go straight to being a broker. That’s what I did. My husband was working in a union at the time, and I told myself that if I sold one house a month, or even every other month, we would be okay. I started the business in our dining room. From there, we moved to a storefront, then to an office, and now we’re in our third location. My roots are in Queens, and I always wanted to stay here.
Her Agenda: Was there a client, tenant, or experience that stayed with you long enough to push you toward building your own firm?
Nadira Taylor: I would say all of my clients, but the biggest accomplishment for me isn’t just helping someone go from a shelter to owning a multifamily home, even though that’s huge. The biggest accomplishment is telling my family and friends that they can do this too. In the Black community, we often make it through the door and don’t hold it open for anyone else. Sometimes we’re more comfortable helping strangers than the people we grew up with. I’ve helped cousins and close friends purchase homes through the same affordability programs I used, programs that cover closing costs, attorney fees, and appraisal fees. Those are the barriers that make homeownership feel impossible. A lot of us don’t have $60,000 or $100,000 sitting around. What keeps me going is knowing that I came back to my community. No one can say I made it out and never looked back. I never wanted to get to the top and eat by myself.
Her Agenda: How did your early experiences in property management and compliance shape the values you built Diamond Mine on?
Nadira Taylor: The most transparent answer I can give is that throughout my career, I’ve often been one of the few Black people in the firm, especially at certain levels. I’m one of the few Black property management firms in New York City. I don’t want opportunities because we’re a Black-owned business. I want opportunities because we’re the best at what we do, and it just so happens that we’re Black. When I worked at other firms, their names carried weight. If I left one job, the next employer saw where I had worked and wanted to hire me. That’s how I’m trying to build Diamond Mine. I want people to call us because we’re excellent, and be glad we’re Black, not hire us because of it.
Her Agenda: In the early days of your career or the launch of Diamond Mine, what kept you going when things felt uncertain?
Nadira Taylor: I’m not a quitter. I had to make it. This wasn’t my first business. I owned a restaurant when I was 28, and it didn’t do well. I learned that you need years of savings to sustain a restaurant, and I didn’t have that. I thought people would love my food and I’d be rich by Sunday. That experience taught me about seasons in business. You need a cushion, and even then, that cushion can run out quickly. But I don’t like letting anything get the best of me, even life. I’m going to win.
Her Agenda: You’ve said tenancy shouldn’t be the final destination. Where did that belief come from, and how has it shaped your business model?
Nadira Taylor: I grew up in a house. My family is from the Grant Houses in Harlem, but when I was two, my grandmother’s sister bought a house because she didn’t want me growing up in that lifestyle. My first apartment, though, was in Edgemere Houses. After reviewing my budget, I realized that was the only place I could afford at the time. When I applied, I wrote a letter explaining that I understood the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) was meant to be a stepping stone. I told them I was in college, had a young child, and needed five years to get on my feet. They called me in for an interview, and when I arrived, there was a cake. Everyone clapped. I got the apartment. I stayed there four years, moved to another NYCHA development, and then purchased my home 15 years ago. Tenancy was never meant to be permanent. It was meant to help people move forward.
Her Agenda: Looking back, what has been one of the most meaningful or heartfelt moments in your career?
Nadira Taylor: I genuinely like helping people. Everything feels impactful to me if I can make a difference in someone’s life, whether through real estate or through the wisdom I’ve gained from running a business. My niche is taking over mismanaged buildings and turning them into places people feel proud to call home. I’ve had seasons where the company struggled and seasons where it thrived. Helping other business owners navigate their tough seasons is meaningful to me. People see the success, but they don’t see the 12 or 15-hour days, the payroll stress, or the sacrifices. I cut my income by more than half to build the property management side of the business. It took four years for Diamond Mine to be recognized as a reputable property management firm.
Her Agenda: As a Black woman leading a multi-faceted real estate firm in New York, what have you had to be uncompromising about in order to succeed?
Nadira Taylor: I had to be uncompromising about the company’s vision. I believe deeply in community and giving people opportunities, but sometimes that means dealing with entitlement or misaligned goals. Early on, I gave too many chances, thinking people would eventually get it. But that slowed the company’s growth. I still hire from my community, but if someone’s goals don’t align with the company’s vision, there has to be a hard cutoff.
Her Agenda: Why has it been important for you to build others while also building your brand?
Nadira Taylor: It’s hard to do this alone. I was raised by my aunt and grandmother. My aunt gave up her life to help raise me. If I can give someone 30 minutes or an hour of guidance, why wouldn’t I? She gave me everything.
Her Agenda: What does the idea of “home” mean to you personally, and how did that influence the way you built your business?
Nadira Taylor: Home was always about family and community. If you were hungry, you could come to my grandmother’s house. Family wasn’t just blood. That’s how Diamond Mine operates. My husband runs construction. My children have worked here. Seeing my granddaughter say she has a small business like me. That’s happiness.
Her Agenda: What has working in New York taught you about patience, timing, and staying the course?
Nadira Taylor: My grandmother used to say, “If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.” New York teaches realism. There’s no perfect house. You find what works and make it home. I’m honest with clients because that’s how you set people up for success.
Her Agenda: At this stage in your career, what does success look like beyond transactions and numbers?
Nadira Taylor: Success is building Diamond Mine into a legacy firm, one my children and grandchildren can run. That kind of success is attainable.
[Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.]
