Whether you’re looking to rent or buy, finding a place you can call home can often come with many challenges, from fake listings to housing scams! Because the real estate market can be a minefield, we interviewed our SuperAgents to give you advice on how to navigate the process.
What Are the Biggest Problems Home Seekers Face in the Current Market?
“In the current market, there are lots of, what we call, fake listings,” Sinan Agbulut (D&B Properties) says. “So for home-seekers to find genuine listings is a big challenge. Property Finder has a great way of dealing with this through verifying listings and the SuperAgent feature.”
André Henry-Watson (Williams International) added another issue home seekers face is finding an agent that is knowledgeable enough. All agents will provide advice about the best time to buy, but what home seekers really want to know are the benefits and disadvantages of a certain community. A trusted agent will explain these based on your needs, building your must-haves and things that are more flexible.
Property Finder Found That 44% of Home Seekers in the UAE State ‘Trust’ as a Primary Criterion. Does That Surprise You?
“I’m not surprised,” Emma says, “Trust is the biggest contender when it comes to not only buyers but sellers as well.”
Sinan agreed that it wasn’t a surprise to have trust as a top priority for customers since it is a critical part of the business. He said that trust in the agent’s professionality and knowing that they are looking out for your interests as opposed to their own is crucial. Unreliable agents are really painful for home seekers because they cost them precious time, not to mention money.
1. How Can You Get Accurate Information on Listings?
Simply put, you need to find a trustworthy agent. “You can use the Superagent filter when searching for properties on Property Finder,” Matthew Montgomery (Espace Real Estate Broker) advises. “This means this agent’s listings are verified and up-to-date, and they are an expert in their community.”
Alternatively, André recommends that you reach out to your friends, colleagues, or peers for referrals. If your friends are willing to refer an agent, it shows that this agent can provide high-quality services and is someone they can trust.
2. How Does Using SuperAgents Avoid These Problems?
“There are a lots of checks done on agents before being listed as a SuperAgent,” Akash Kapoor (Engel & Völkers) answers, “and for someone to be a SuperAgent, they must be not only knowledgeable but also transparent. This transparency makes the process of buying a home go smoothly.”
Emma Jean (Williams International) adds that the SuperAgent filter helps home seekers find reliable agents. That’s because one of the requirements to becoming a SuperAgent is having documents that prove the agent is in direct communication with the seller. This means that any listing a SuperAgent has is a verified and legitimate listing with real photographs of the property, not some other property that is similar.
In addition, Andre also added the fact that Superagents respond quickly to their clients which is very important to build trust.
3. What Are the Biggest Red Flags in Real Estate Agents?
“Red flags would be an agent who is not getting back to you, not giving you the right information, and not very knowledgeable about the market and the different communities,” Lee Weston (Allsopp & Allsopp Real Estate Broker LLC) says. “That’s why you should use the SuperAgent feature on Property Finder because you know that these are trusted and competent agents.”
4. From Your Perspective as SuperAgents, What Are the Biggest Mistakes Homebuyers Make?
Rushing the decision! Buying a house is a big decision, and it is crucial that you take your time to research not just the area you are looking to buy in but also the developers.
Sinan recommends that you verify the developer has a track record for delivering stellar developments and maintaining them well. For support along the way, you can trust a Superagent to be an expert in different communities and reputable developers.
Lee agrees that not doing your research is among the biggest mistakes you can make when buying or investing in a property. When going for a developer with a good reputation like Emaar or Meraas, you know your investment is in the correct place and is well taken care of. In addition, research into the agency you’ve chosen to deal with is another important factor.
5. How Can You Avoid Housing Scams?
“The best thing to do to protect yourself is to ask the agency for their broker’s licence and the company’s trade licence,” André says. “Make sure they are a licensed broker, and they can do the job legally.” He also warns against giving an agent cash or a cheque in their personal name. Always make sure the cheque is mentioned to their company. In addition, Matthew suggests sticking to only one verified agent with a specific area specialty, so essentially a Superagent.
6. Should You Buy or Rent in Dubai in the Current Market?
With current rent prices in Dubai being so high, Lee recommends buying and investing now to save the money you would be putting into rent. Furthermore, with the Dubai real estate market expected to continue to appreciate over the next 5,10, and 20 years, this is a great time and place to invest.
If you’re ready to kick off your property search, head to Property Finder, where we’ve got over 80 thousand verified properties in Dubai. You’ll also have access to more than five thousand Superagents to help you find the perfect property.
