# Planning a move to Dubai with many questions.



## RamiAbbas (Dec 30, 2015)

Hello Everyone, 

This is my first post on the forum I wish everyone a happy new year to come.

I am planning a move to Dubai I am currently working in Egypt as a sales manager for a real estate company I want to work as a real estate agent in Dubai, I did a some research that concluded that there is a plenty of jobs offer for a real estate agents but there is some gray areas that I can't cover yet and I hope to get a clear answers from the good people here 

1- Do I get a fixed salary on each job offer as a real estate agent or just a commission based ?

2- Is it really rewarding as I saw some people mentioning ONE MILLION AED a MONTH !!as a commission !?

3- How much would I need in order to survive the first 3 months until I start to make money "living on the bare minimum"?

4- I also read that most of the real estate agents are not that highly professional on their jobs and I tend to be very professional and customer oriented, so that would help or I will just be one of the crowd ?

5- Is there is a real estate company that operates from the free zone or it does it have to be on the normal companies bases ?

6- Is it really easy to find a real estate agent job or not?

I am really thankful for anyone that will take from his/her time to answer my questions or give me a feedback on my move and I would really appreciate it.


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

I take it you are aware that the property market in Dubai has been in a slump/near crash for some time and that there are as many 'agents' as properties in Dubai ?

Commission based, Not a chance, more than you think, you will be one of the (hated) crowd with no contact base and no clients, no idea as they are all rubbish, easy yes but you wont get a penny from them and will pay them for desk space.

Short of child kidnap, theres not many jobs in Dubai that are as hated.


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## RamiAbbas (Dec 30, 2015)

twowheelsgood said:


> I take it you are aware that the property market in Dubai has been in a slump/near crash for some time and that there are as many 'agents' as properties in Dubai ?
> 
> Commission based, Not a chance, more than you think, you will be one of the (hated) crowd with no contact base and no clients, no idea as they are all rubbish, easy yes but you wont get a penny from them and will pay them for desk space.
> 
> Short of child kidnap, theres not many jobs in Dubai that are as hated.


First I want to thank you for your answer 

-The market slump was in 2009 it recovered a good bit since then as I see from the quarterly annual market reports the past year, but the fact that there is too many agents is a little bit worrying.

-Some companies had offers that included 3K AED + 50% commission that is not possible to have even for the first year and after that I can manage my self when I have more experience in the market?

-Can you give an estimate ? 

-Wouldn't the company help me out by giving leads and such?

-I hear that a lot ! 

-If I will be paying them wouldn't making my own company a better option? I did some searching and the cost was around 35K AED including the visa and such but the chances of success will be at a bad odds and I won't be able to get leads and get to customers easily.

Lets say am open to a career change if there is an idea you can share on that matter ?


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

My comment would be that you can't drive here until you pass your test. Research that cost plus you will need to factor the time it will take you. Six months at least. During that time, you'll have to use taxis or hire a driver to get around. Property prices here are going down. My friend bought her place a year ago and it's worth considerably less now.


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## RamiAbbas (Dec 30, 2015)

BedouGirl said:


> My comment would be that you can't drive here until you pass your test. Research that cost plus you will need to factor the time it will take you. Six months at least. During that time, you'll have to use taxis or hire a driver to get around. Property prices here are going down. My friend bought her place a year ago and it's worth considerably less now.


I have an international driving license I will use it the first 3 months in order to move around and will rent a cheap car around 1.5K AED once I have residency I will apply for the driving license which I know wouldn't be easy to get.

The estimate cost of the driving license is around 7K AED and I estimated the moving around cost without a car around 1.5K AED is that in a normal range or am a bit off ?

Prices going down is a good thing for the market it means more new buyers, I am sorry for your friend but I am sure once the oil prices are back up again it would be a very rewarding for her.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
In most countries the seller pays the fee to the agent when a house is sold or let. Estate agents charge a much higher fee if more than one agent is representing the property.
In Dubai it is very different - firstly the person buying or renting the property pays the commission. This means the property owner places their property with multiple agents - to increase their chance of getting a buyer.
This means many agents are fighting against each other to sell or let the same property - only the one who signs the contract earns the commission.
It is not unusual for an agent to show people a property - but they then buy or let it with another agent and you would not then get the commission!
With global oil price reductions - there seems to be a budget squeeze in GCC countries that could easily have consequences on property sales - less buyers with available cash and less properties let - reduction in expats working in these countries.
I personally could not think of a much worse way to earn money - than be a real estate agent in a country that operates like the Dubai property market.
Cheers
Steve


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

RamiAbbas said:


> I have an international driving license I will use it the first 3 months in order to move around and will rent a cheap car around 1.5K AED once I have residency I will apply for the driving license which I know wouldn't be easy to get. The estimate cost of the driving license is around 7K AED and I estimated the moving around cost without a car around 1.5K AED is that in a normal range or am a bit off ? Prices going down is a good thing for the market it means more new buyers, I am sorry for your friend but I am sure once the oil prices are back up again it would be a very rewarding for her.


 You can't drive once your visa is processed. You can't work unless your visa is processed. Have you factored that in? I think you'll find getting your license takes you a little longer than you might imagine. Car rental, you may need a wee bit more than that. Thanks for your thoughts for my friend. She bought to try to avoid constantly moving home because of ever increasing rents. Rents are now going down somewhat, as are property prices. I think the decline will continue for a while and even out. We have a hell of a lot of property coming on the market over the next few years. It won't be till nearer 2020 that the situation changes. Please do use the search engine on here - real estate - and read up on some older posts. It may help to give you a more realistic view of what employers in your field are like here.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

RamiAbbas said:


> I have an international driving license I will use it the first 3 months in order to move around and will rent a cheap car around 1.5K AED once I have residency I will apply for the driving license which I know wouldn't be easy to get.
> 
> The estimate cost of the driving license is around 7K AED and I estimated the moving around cost without a car around 1.5K AED is that in a normal range or am a bit off ?
> 
> Prices going down is a good thing for the market it means more new buyers, I am sorry for your friend but I am sure once the oil prices are back up again it would be a very rewarding for her.


Hi,
You can't use an international driving license unless you are on a visit visa.
You are not allowed to work on a visit visa.
Once you start to get a work visa processed - you need to have a UAE driver's license to legally drive in Dubai.
Cheers
Steve


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## LesFroggitts (Dec 30, 2013)

RamiAbbas said:


> I have an international driving license I will use it the first 3 months in order to move around and will rent a cheap car around 1.5K AED once I have residency I will apply for the driving license which I know wouldn't be easy to get.
> 
> The estimate cost of the driving license is around 7K AED and I estimated the moving around cost without a car around 1.5K AED is that in a normal range or am a bit off ?
> 
> Prices going down is a good thing for the market it means more new buyers, I am sorry for your friend but I am sure once the oil prices are back up again it would be a very rewarding for her.


Not forgetting that lower prices mean lower commissions - there are some agents around who will actually reduce their commission % from the renter/buyer to get the deal - it's that cut throat here.


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## RamiAbbas (Dec 30, 2015)

Stevesolar said:


> Hi,
> In most countries the seller pays the fee to the agent when a house is sold or let. Estate agents charge a much higher fee if more than one agent is representing the property.
> In Dubai it is very different - firstly the person buying or renting the property pays the commission. This means the property owner places their property with multiple agents - to increase their chance of getting a buyer.
> This means many agents are fighting against each other to sell or let the same property - only the one who signs the contract earns the commission.
> ...


I discovered the part that the buyer is the one paying fees which is really odd, for the contract and commission why would someone in their good mind start working on selling a property without signing a contract with the seller to make sure they are working legally and the effort is not wasted? or the market is that competitive that will make them take that risk?

The effect of oil prices will not last more than a year to come in my opinion I anticipate that it will get back to 50$ a barrel this year which is a good sign if it did happen ofcourse.


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## RamiAbbas (Dec 30, 2015)

LesFroggitts said:


> Not forgetting that lower prices mean lower commissions - there are some agents around who will actually reduce their commission % from the renter/buyer to get the deal - it's that cut throat here.


The price drop will be around 10% so as the commission as long as the market have buyers and sellers you can be confident that you will make money out of it, but it seems that the agents and companies in the market are all about fierce competition.


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## RamiAbbas (Dec 30, 2015)

BedouGirl said:


> You can't drive once your visa is processed. You can't work unless your visa is processed. Have you factored that in? I think you'll find getting your license takes you a little longer than you might imagine. Car rental, you may need a wee bit more than that. Thanks for your thoughts for my friend. She bought to try to avoid constantly moving home because of ever increasing rents. Rents are now going down somewhat, as are property prices. I think the decline will continue for a while and even out. We have a hell of a lot of property coming on the market over the next few years. It won't be till nearer 2020 that the situation changes. Please do use the search engine on here - real estate - and read up on some older posts. It may help to give you a more realistic view of what employers in your field are like here.


I will search for what you mentioned to get a better understanding.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

RamiAbbas said:


> I discovered the part that the buyer is the one paying fees which is really odd, for the contract and commission why would someone in their good mind start working on selling a property without signing a contract with the seller to make sure they are working legally and the effort is not wasted? or the market is that competitive that will make them take that risk?
> 
> The effect of oil prices will not last more than a year to come in my opinion I anticipate that it will get back to 50$ a barrel this year which is a good sign if it did happen ofcourse.


Hi,
The seller does not care who sells the property - as it is the buyer who pays the commission. The agents simply look for properties that are advertised on the net and get the contact details of the owner to arrange keys for a viewing.
Agents even use the photos from other agents - then place them in their adverts!
It is so cut-throat that you would not believe!
Regarding oil prices - if you are that confident in the potential rises for next year - then you should consider trading in commodities rather than being a property agent!
Oil prices are totally controlled by OPEC and we have no real idea what criteria or motives they have for production levels and prices.
Cheers
Steve


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## RamiAbbas (Dec 30, 2015)

Stevesolar said:


> Hi,
> The seller does not care who sells the property - as it is the buyer who pays the commission. The agents simply look for properties that are advertised on the net and get the contact details of the owner to arrange keys for a viewing.
> Agents even use the photos from other agents - then place them in their adverts!
> It is so cut-throat that you would not believe!
> ...


Would a month be enough to discover the market? I could take a tourist visa for a month to see for my self but it's all about expenses and I am on a tight budget and still doesn't know how much would I need in order to pull that off.

For the oil prices right now it's some how tied to the Syrian crisis and OPEC both are controlled by KSA which will be in a bind if they didn't cut production in order to make higher prices, and I do want to trade commodities but I need something to pay the pills and am planning forex exchange and commodities exchange, I made a good buck out of it before but right now the real estate market in Egypt is in a real slump for the past 3 years I couldn't even think of moving from Egypt if the market here was moving.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

RamiAbbas said:


> Would a month be enough to discover the market? I could take a tourist visa for a month to see for my self but it's all about expenses and I am on a tight budget and still doesn't know how much would I need in order to pull that off.
> 
> For the oil prices right now it's some how tied to the Syrian crisis and OPEC both are controlled by KSA which will be in a bind if they didn't cut production in order to make higher prices, and I do want to trade commodities but I need something to pay the pills and am planning forex exchange and commodities exchange, I made a good buck out of it before but right now the real estate market in Egypt is in a real slump for the past 3 years I couldn't even think of moving from Egypt if the market here was moving.


Hi,
I know quite a few agents who are married to a partner who has a steady wage from a "normal" job. They can then afford the ups and downs of the property market - as they don't rely on commission to live.
If agents commission was my only source of income - I would be very nervous working in that field, in this type of market - unless I had one years salary as savings to fall back on.
If money is already tight - then you might want to look again at the career that best suits your skills and qualifications.
Cheers
Steve


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Stevesolar said:


> Hi, I know quite a few agents who are married to a partner who has a steady wage from a "normal" job. They can then afford the ups and downs of the property market - as they don't rely on commission to live. If agents commission was my only source of income - I would be very nervous working in that field, in this type of market - unless I had one years salary as savings to fall back on. If money is already tight - then you might want to look again at the career that best suits your skills and qualifications. Cheers Steve


I would seriously second that. Can you do anything else? Your written English is very good. I'm sure there must be a reason for that


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## RamiAbbas (Dec 30, 2015)

Stevesolar said:


> Hi,
> I know quite a few agents who are married to a partner who has a steady wage from a "normal" job. They can then afford the ups and downs of the property market - as they don't rely on commission to live.
> If agents commission was my only source of income - I would be very nervous working in that field, in this type of market - unless I had one years salary as savings to fall back on.
> If money is already tight - then you might want to look again at the career that best suits your skills and qualifications.
> ...


I can't rely on anyone I have only but my self, I think I would consider another career and do my research about it.

Cheers


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## RamiAbbas (Dec 30, 2015)

BedouGirl said:


> I would seriously second that. Can you do anything else? Your written English is very good. I'm sure there must be a reason for that


My English is fluent both written and verbal I have lived more than 6 years of my life as a translator I had a very good luck in that 

I worked in IT and computer sales for 7 years since I was 15 I had managed a tech-shop after I opened my own company selling computer hardware after that Automotive Sales and partnership then I settled for a real estate partnership and sales managing also some Forex and commodity exchange aside of import and export novice experience but Egypt is in a economic crisis and I am in a real bind I want to discover a new world, people, opportunities I am really open to anything new I need to survive and get a new prescriptive on life and I think traveling will be it, Dubai or anyother place with a good work will be good for me, but the money is really short I have only around 5K USD.


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## mariot (Nov 4, 2013)

Stevesolar said:


> Hi,
> I know quite a few agents who are married to a partner who has a steady wage from a "normal" job. They can then afford the ups and downs of the property market - as they don't rely on commission to live.
> If agents commission was my only source of income - I would be very nervous working in that field, in this type of market - unless I had one years salary as savings to fall back on.
> If money is already tight - then you might want to look again at the career that best suits your skills and qualifications.
> ...


100% agree with you Steve that sums my situation up, wife earns the day to day bread and I supply the condiments lol.

Op please note that apart from a drivers licence you'll need to have an office registered with the DLD, as a broker you'll need to do a course and achieve more than 80% in your final exam. 

Loads of guys have earned the 6 figure comms but then nothing for a year before or after.


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## RamiAbbas (Dec 30, 2015)

mariot said:


> 100% agree with you Steve that sums my situation up, wife earns the day to day bread and I supply the condiments lol.
> 
> Op please note that apart from a drivers licence you'll need to have an office registered with the DLD, as a broker you'll need to do a course and achieve more than 80% in your final exam.
> 
> Loads of guys have earned the 6 figure comms but then nothing for a year before or after.


I have to depend on my self so I have to cut it by my self 

The RERA Certificate you mean ? its 2.5K AED and it takes 2 days to have the course and then the exam I read the 60 question and have the answers searched it's mostly based on law and regulations of the real estate sales and lease process

I assume it's based on a real amount of luck.


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## RamiAbbas (Dec 30, 2015)

What about "Property Manager" jobs ? I can do it just fine and easily and I have a good deal of experience in the field in Egypt, Can I find a job with no UAE experience in the field considering that I can take a property management diploma from DREI "Certified Property Management Training (CPM)" for 3K AED?


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

RamiAbbas said:


> What about "Property Manager" jobs ? I can do it just fine and easily and I have a good deal of experience in the field in Egypt, Can I find a job with no UAE experience in the field considering that I can take a property management diploma from DREI "Certified Property Management Training (CPM)" for 3K AED?


There's nothing to stop you trying .


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## RamiAbbas (Dec 30, 2015)

BedouGirl said:


> There's nothing to stop you trying .


I wish to thank every one for their opinion and time, wish you all the best year to come


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

RamiAbbas said:


> I wish to thank every one for their opinion and time, wish you all the best year to come


Good luck!


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