DUBAI 9 November 2019: Have you ever thought of the amount of groundwork that goes into the process of buying a home? It can be very overwhelming when you first start to look into it. But remember, you don’t have to do it all by yourself. Help is in hand in the form of your real estate agent who can guide you through the process of buying a home in the UAE.
To make your journey to home ownership as simple as possible, Dubai Festival City recommends choosing the right real estate agent along with arming yourself with the right questions to ask. It is their job to educate and support you through the process – from start to finish.
Here are some questions that you should be asking when choosing your real estate agent:
1. How long have you been in the business? Like with any other job, a good real estate agent will have a CV that they can share with you. Ask about their previous experience, both within the UAE and abroad. Get a feeling for their career history and whether they can demonstrate that they have the background and skills to take you through your journey to owning a home. Most of all, trust your instincts; first impressions are often correct so don’t be afraid to keep looking for someone else if you have any reservations.
2. What area do you specialise in? Buying a property is a big decision. Find someone to help you who specialises in the location that you are interested in. Many real estate agents concentrate on certain areas so be aware of this when it comes to exploring the best location for you and your family to live. While their market expertise and industry know-how will come in very handy, make sure that you are not influenced by their particular preference for one location over another.
3. What is your commission? It is a good idea to find out exactly how a real estate agent’s commission structure works. Do they get paid by the seller? Or will most of their commission come from you? Knowing how much they are going to be paid, and from who, gives you a clear idea of where their priorities lie when negotiating the best deal for you.
4. Can any of your previous clients recommend you? Word of mouth is a powerful tool when it comes to vouching for someone’s professional skills. Ask your real estate agent for references from their previous clients so that you can hear first-hand what their experience with the agent has been. If your agent is good at what they do, then they will have a handful of past clients in their phone book that they will not hesitate to put you in touch with.
5. Can I see your current property listings? In today’s online world, it should be very easy for you to do a search of your real estate agents current listings. This will be a quick and easy way to get an idea of the type of properties that they specialise and how good they are at putting together a catchy presentation on the Internet. If everything looks good here, this is a good sign that they will also be able to perform well when it comes to face-to-face interactions with buyers and sellers.
Samer Zabian, Director – Residential & Commercial Property, Dubai Festival City said: “Tapping into your real estate agent’s expert knowledge is one of the smartest decisions you will make. This gives you the advantage of having the correct information right from the start of the process, avoiding having to go back and sort any issues out along the way. Any registered real estate agent with a licence to operate in the UAE should be the first person you call when you have any legal, financial or market-related questions. They are a valuable resource; try and forge a good relationship with them to get the most out of this.”
