Franco Irakoze, a 24-year-old African American real estate developer from Knoxville, Tennessee, is building 60–70 housing units across the area. Through his firm, Definity Investments, Irakoze is quickly becoming a rising figure in the city’s real estate landscape.
One of Irakoze’s standout projects is a 14-townhome development at University Avenue and West Fourth Avenue in Mechanicsville—his childhood neighborhood. “I actually grew up in Mechanicsville… that’s where I actually bought the first two properties I built,” he said. The townhomes are set to be completed this summer.
Irakoze began real estate at age 19 after leaving Tennessee State University during the pandemic. He had tried drop shipping and e-commerce in high school, but property development became his main focus during lockdown.
Born in a refugee camp in East Africa, Irakoze moved to Knoxville in 2007 with his family. One of his first goals in real estate was to build a home for his mother. “Coming from an immigrant household… that’s always number one,” he said.
Irakoze is now managing multiple housing projects across Knoxville, including those that meet new city housing standards. Some units will be rented, others sold. His long-term aim is to help grow the city while supporting his community.
Follow Franco Irakoze’s journey on Instagram: @Franco.Irakoze.
