# Real Estate Companies and Job offer



## Muff (Feb 16, 2010)

Hey everyone

Need your help , Im not in dubai yet and I plan on coming over within next 6 weeks but im wanting to come over already with a job set up which has been really hard .

Need some advice on the companies below 

Smith and Ken Real Estate - are they a good company !!!

allsopp and allsopp - are they a good company !!!

Also the Job offers I have been offered are one months free accom , 2 months probationary period and they mentioned they will sort visa out when over there 

does this normally happen . That was it no basic just commission only .

Be much appreciated if any of you could get back to me on this , the more info I know the better.


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## MasJ (Mar 22, 2010)

If you work on commission then I'd say that usually agents receive about AED 1,500 or so for each apartment they manage to rent out [commission for you is about 43% of the agency commission]. For a 1 bed room apartment, the agency usually charges about AED 3000 as commission. You can get an idea of what agency commission is charged on dubizzle by looking at ad listings there. That way you'll know what kind of targets you need to keep.

The market though is quite saturated with real estate agents growing out of every nook and cranny. However, if you're good with sales and willing to deal with clients I'm sure you can make something out of yourself with the commissions.

It's normal for them to sort out your visa after you get here. No idea of the companies you mentioned though.

However, it's odd that they don't offer you any basic. That's really bad. 'Cause it'll take you a few weeks at-least to find your feet here. The two months probation is also totally normal. It's what every company does. Not right or legal. But done anyway.


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## Muff (Feb 16, 2010)

Hey Masj

Thanks for the info , how is the rental market over there at the moment ?

Do you know many people who are doing well with regards to sales or leasing .....


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## MasJ (Mar 22, 2010)

Well, the rental market right now is very tenant friendly. I know cause I'm looking for an apartment right now 

However, there are tons of apartments and tons of people. The good thing about Dubai is that there is a huge moving population. So if you're in rentals/leasing rather than sales, I think you'll do alright.

Sales are down at the moment though. For example, I'm looking to rent in this area developed by Nakheel. There are now apartments there directly for lease from Nakheel since nobody purchased the buildings. They're having to play both roles now. Landlord + Developer.

Of-course everything really does come down to individual skills. I use dubizzle to look for listings so if an agent is listing there, I'd call him up and go see what he's got. I just lost an apartment the other day [was interested in one but someone else took it up..] so I'd say, yeah, there are people moving around.

What's really happening though is that people are probably moving from cheaper areas to more expensive ones since rents have come crashing down.

However, in Dubai I really can never say what the market is like. It's because the press is never truly honest about what's really going on. Since I've been out there looking for an apartment I can say honestly though that there are tons of people that are looking but the number of apartments far outnumber the people right now.

The last time I rented an apartment the agent was like "take it or leave it, we have tons of customers" and this has generally been the attitude in Dubai due to the property boom. Now they're having to change their ways because the customer now has choices.

Hmm.. I don't know where I went with this rant but I hope you can make some sense of it =P


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

It is perfectly legal to offer a job with a probationary period and standard practice. It is however, illegal to work without a residency visa and work permit, so that should be sorted out immediately. 

Again standard for estate agency roles to be commission only, although some companies will offer an advance to kep you going until payments start coming in. If you have to pay for your own apartment after one month, I hope you are bring money with you to pay for it, as you will not get a bank loan (nor should you want one).

Smith & Ken have a decent reputation. I don't know the other company.

A regular poster by the name of Marc will have useful comments regarding the roles you are after and the rental market. Hopefully he'll appear at some point.

Good luck.
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## MasJ (Mar 22, 2010)

Well in my experience they DON'T get you a visa and permit during the probationary period. It's more like "Lets see how you do and then if you're good enough we'll get you your papers". So generally speaking, while it's not illegal to offer a job under those terms it does become illegal quite quickly for the person who's working there because they don't really have a labour card or residence visa.

Even if the persons visa was under processing, that would be legal. However, every person that I know of who worked for a probationary period has only had their visas processed after the two months have passed. It's not a big risk usually since like you said, it's standard practise.


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

MasJ said:


> Well in my experience they DON'T get you a visa and permit during the probationary period. It's more like "Lets see how you do and then if you're good enough we'll get you your papers". So generally speaking, while it's not illegal to offer a job under those terms it does become illegal quite quickly for the person who's working there because they don't really have a labour card or residence visa.
> 
> Even if the persons visa was under processing, that would be legal. However, every person that I know of who worked for a probationary period has only had their visas processed after the two months have passed. It's not a big risk usually since like you said, it's standard practise.


I suggest you re-read by post before responding in that manner.

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## MasJ (Mar 22, 2010)

Uhh ? What manner ?

My post wasn't really aimed at you. You said the visa should be sorted out immediately, so I was just adding that companies don't generally do that.

Seriously though, what did you find wrong with my manner :?


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

MasJ said:


> Uhh ? What manner ?
> 
> My post wasn't really aimed at you. You said the visa should be sorted out immediately, so I was just adding that companies don't generally do that.
> 
> Seriously though, what did you find wrong with my manner :?


Just reread the posts & chill. Your experience is not the only experience and many companies do obey the law.

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## Muff (Feb 16, 2010)

hey guys thanks for your info , appreicate it , one of you guys mentioned moeny situation 

How much do you think you will need to get by per month for 3 months , if the job offer is commission only and visa paid and one month accom free.


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## user71 (Mar 23, 2010)

Elphaba said:


> Just reread the posts & chill. Your experience is not the only experience and many companies do obey the law.
> 
> -


I was reading this topic and I subscribed only to post on it.

Isn't this what a forum is about? Bringing our own experience and exchanging views. 
I don't see any reason for banning a user for that.
It's not a "manner", is an opinion supported by experience. 
You have other experience? Fine. But why banning?


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## user71 (Mar 23, 2010)

*Clarification detail*



Elphaba said:


> Just reread the posts & chill. Your experience is not the only experience and many companies do obey the law.
> 
> -


"many companies obey the law" means some companies do not?


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## oh! (Feb 24, 2010)

Btw you have to be RERA certified in order to be able to work as a real estate broker (RERA stands for Real Estate Regulatory Authority), you'll have to attend a few classes in order to be certified. Obviously in order to attend the classes, you have to have your papers sorted out. If you operate without RERA certification, any prospective client before closing the deal can or may ask you for RERA certification reference (I think you are given a license number), if you fail to produce it, not only will you end up losing the deal but you might get reported as well and that would be end of the great Dubai dream.

Why would people ask for your license number, simply because there have been quite a few scams, where people have been swindled out of their advances, commission fee paid and even entire annual rent by unlicensed POSING brokers/con men on properties which were actually not for rent and were never commissioned to be rented out by the owners.

Plus if you get caught without RERA certification, you will not only be breaking two laws (working without certification and working without papers) but your employer will also be liable to a very heavy fine.


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## marc (Mar 10, 2008)

Muff said:


> Hey everyone
> 
> Need your help , Im not in dubai yet and I plan on coming over within next 6 weeks but im wanting to come over already with a job set up which has been really hard .
> 
> ...


Hi Muff.

Both are good companies..

I work for Smith & Ken and im happy here!

Commission only and no basic is very common in Real Estate - but it will give you the chance to earn a lot more then if you were on a salary. 

We have 2 months probation and then your visa would be done straight away..

Have you been in touch with Kirk? 

Any more questions let me know.


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## MrNice (Oct 29, 2011)

Hey everyone,

I read this topic through google and as I'm in the same situation I decided to register.
I have received a job offer from an Australian Real Estate company in Dubai.

The job offer was basically a 48h/week for 2 years, with a 50% commission (and that's the only pay). The only benefit was basically a resident visa/work permit so in the beginning I would have to pay my own car rental, my own telephone charges, and even my own RERA training (which comes to about 2000 AED..). Is this normal??

They did state I would receive bonuses after reaching a target number after every 3 months, but still I feel like they aren't really doing much to invest in me, even though I have experience abroad.
If you add to that that there is no housing or healthcare provided, and that they sent me a 1 page job offer that I also had to sign, I'm starting to have my doubts..
Should I worry? I mean, I still think they're a sincere company, but that maybe they're just trying to get as much profit as possible by not investing in me at all apart from my visa. 
I was wondering to what extent this was normal in Dubai, as I only moved here in September.


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

Yes it is normal in real estate. As you are already in Dubai you have nothing to lose by taking the job as long as you can support yourself if you do not earn much commission.


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## MrNice (Oct 29, 2011)

Okay, thanks for the reply!
There is a risk though.. I mean, when I don't achieve a target number, they have the right to throw me out.. And apparently there's also a 6 month working ban involved when I drop out in the first year.. :/ 
Finally, I've also heard employers have the duty to pay for at least 1 trip back to the home country of the employees.. Is this true?


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