Dubai property agents to fall in licensing blitz

Posted by: Witty-Pinay Monday, 14 September 2009 11:34 AM[UAE] - UAE

WHAT ABOUT THE INVESTORS AND BUYERS WHO ARE JUST A WASTE OF TIME, WORKING ON FINDING YOU A PROPERTY IN THE END GOING DIRECTLY TO THE OWNER? WHAT ABOUT THE COMMISSION THE BUYERS ARE NOT PAYING TO THE REAL ESTATE AGENTS? WHAT ABOUT REAL ESTATE AGENTS WHO WERE PROMISED A SALARY AND AFTER 3 MONTHS OF NOT SELLING END UP ONLY COMMISSION WILL BE GIVEN TO THEM BY THEIR EMPLOYER. REAL ESTATE AGENTS IS CAUGHT IN BETWEEN THE GREEDY REAL ESTATE COMPANIES AND INVESTORS. BECAUSE OF THEIR GREEDINESS, EMPLOYED REAL ESTATE AGENTS ARE LEFT HUNGRY INSPITE OF THEIR HARD WORK. NOT BEING GIVEN CREDIT TO THE JOBS THEY HAVE DONE. HOW ABOUT BEING LAID-OFF AFTER BECAUSE OF THE RECESSION AND LEAVING YOUR EMPLOYEES BEHIND.. ALL BECAUSE OF GREED. ALL BECAUSE OF GREED.

Posted by: Peter Monday, 14 September 2009 7:48 AM[UAE] - UAE

Leah, I'm sure there were a couple of honest brokers, but the reality was that the vast majority of brokers over here were dishonest, and did not do their homework. Indeed, I watched many an honest broker go bad shortly after arriving in the country as they gave up with adequate due diligence. How many could answer questions about the calculation of square feet? How many tried selling properties with original delivery times rather than revised delivery times? Indeed I often used to see cancelled projects advertised long after the project was cancelled. Remember Al Kaheel anyone? How often did a broker just decide that a client who asked too many questions was not worth the time? And finally how often did they fail to open the door, prefering instead to leave the door open or to leave the key hidden nearby. As a result, I never managed to find a home during the gold rush, so I suppose I should be grateful, but please don't defend the indefensible.

Posted by: Leah Sunday, 13 September 2009 7:53 PM[UAE] - UAE

Well you did bring a smile to my face and a very well written and humerous article is was too!! Unfortunately though, if you think a consultants job and the commission they earn is down to 'just' opening a door of a property...you have unfortunately not met any professionals~!~! Believe me, when I say there are many about. Also like not having to pay commission on your petrol, you also do not need to pay for commission on your property. Just go direct to the owner, have a half baked contract that means nothing in the courts and 'bobs your uncle'..No commission, no security and no-one to attack if all doesn't go to plan...so go ahead and be happy! Oh and by the way, the majority of consultants are male, pay for their visas and are earning COMMISSION for their families. What career are you in?

Posted by: Mike Charlie Mike Sunday, 13 September 2009 5:02 PM[UAE] - UAE

Well the coding is a welcome edition to the pretty colors (colours) and colorful (colourful) people acting like real estate "agents" here; where the only true credential is to be on a spouses visa and have a car. Bingo! Potential for commission... Let me change the subject before I get a flurry of responses for generalizing. As I recall, an agent or broker works for a landlord / property owner to find people to lease / purchase their premises and thus the owner gets to operate the properties more efficiently and or sell (giggle) profitably. You know customers? That?s right customers... the people that pay for things. Technically, the owner should pay the agent for the great job in getting the client�le. I seem to remember it once being that way here before the first new wave of "agencies" came. Sadly this evolved into the period when the agents took commission from the owner AND the buyer / leaser. Legislation followed! Not tolerating that kind of skullduggery, and in a move to keep pricing fair, the owners decided it would be nice to stave off those rising costs by making their payment of the commission to the agencies obsolete and regulating the commissions at 5%... at the expense of the customer. People don?t mind paying really when they don?t have a choice, which paved the way for the real estate evolutionary period we are now in... This is the only place I have ever had to pay an agent to unlock a door for me. Being the adventuresome type, I usually find the property myself. The (natoooor) doorman, although grossly under compensated, is a far better resource to use to get the flat viewing process underway and to find out what is honestly available in the building; not what the agent wants you to see. "They"... yes they are now referred to as "they" will tell you "it?s the last one sir / ma?am", but we can hear chirping crickets echoing down the hall? This will be a tough concept for some, possibly due to the bad analogy, but try to find the common denominator. You need fuel (Petrol). You drove to the pump, you found the pump, you selected the pump. Would you pay the guy who pumps a 5% premium in cash of the amount he squirts in your vehicle on behalf of the owner? If I am happy and he does a good job on the windshield, I just may hand 5% to him if I can (cough) afford it. It is however up to me. Also it has helped me immensely when choosing the right petrol mixture that the government has color (colour) coded the little pump handles. And most importantly, volatile and dangerous things are always colour (color?) coded to aid in public safety. Even nature coded venomous and dangerous insects and reptiles. So the real estate evolution continues as we whine and opine. We embrace the community and welcome the newest dangerous predator or hazardous material being identified along with a coding system being applied in the interest of public safety. I am a staunch supporter of public safety aren?t you?

Posted by: Leah Saturday, 12 September 2009 10:32 AM[UAE] - UAE

The frustration I feel concerning the ongoing onslaught of Real Estate Consultants is immense. In every field there are good, bad and indifferent employees/ workers, but this seems to be forgotten. Many people who write into this column give me the impression that they must be excellent in all that they do? Please give these commission based workers a bit more credit. I have the privelage of working with some extremely phenomenal and professional people, who take their role as either a sales or leasing consultant very seriously and not only work at least 12 hours a day, but also often seven days a week. They do not have the luxury of knowing they have a salary at the end of each month (even if they do a poor job like others who are in salaried employment). So to do a great job and give the best service to a client is a MUST...otherwise they lose their reputation, which in turn loses them money. Also, please remember that the commission paid, does not all go to the consultant. Half normally goes to the company they are working for. The majority are great people trying to earn a living and have had to deal with the most negative people who have spoken to them in ways that you would not treat an animal............and you still expect them to smile!! Please just think about these people as human beings who work extremely hard and do not TAR unprofessional consultants with the same brush as the brilliant ones!!