Atcguy

Hello all,
I move out to the UAE in a few weeks and am looking for some accommodation hints and tips. I hear lots of horror stories about viewings and landlords so I would like to hear some good news and I will contact those 'Brit approved' agents for viewings! I hope this is allowed!

Inselaffen

I wouldn't limit yourself to a particular agent. just check the regular websites and expect to have different agents offering to show you the same property.

MataHari

where are you moving to?

MataHari

I don't really agree with that...when an agent knows a client will only use you, you are far more motivated than when you know the client is shopping around with lots of agents. Specially as we are all trying to rent out those same few properties. Chances are you are spending time working on arranging viewings, and when you have done all that, the client will tell you oh, I have already seen that with so and so...
When I know a client is shopping around, I will only show direct properties if I have any, and otherwise I am not even going to bother as the probability of doing a deal is too small.

the_red_sheep

I’m sorry but that kind of perfectly sums up the attitude of so many agents here.

Why on earth would the customer limit themselves to only one agent who will only be able to show them a percentage of the available properties, and who will have absolutely no loyalty to them? Agents main priority is to maximise their own income by getting as much for a property as is possible (at the expense of the customer) with as little effort as is possible.


Really? There are literally tens of thousands of empty apartments and villas in Dubai at present


Isn’t arranging viewings the crux of an agents job, and if they are more open and communicative with the customer then taking them to things they’ve already seen wouldn’t happen.


Customer service at its finest. Agents must be making too much money at the moment if they can afford to turn away potential business so frivolously.

the_red_sheep

Totally agree. Also, when arranging viewings with an agent get very specific details about which apartments they are taking you too see and what the prices are before you go and see any. This will hopefully avoid going to see things you've seen already, things you have zero interest in, or things which are now miraculously 10k more expensive than they were in the ad you responded to.

MataHari

We get 5% commission, of which half goes to the company. If you have the property through another agent, you again split half. So we are not talking massive amounts of money, specially if you do apartment rentals. Most will only get commission, no petrol, no phone bills paid. The difference in my commission on say a 1 bed apartment, if I rent it for 100,000 I get 2,500, if I rent it for 105,000 I get 2,625 dhs. Do you really think I don't want to negotiate on behalf of my client to get the price down with 5000? Because of that 125 dhs difference in commission? You got to be kidding, I much rather have commission over 100,000 than no commission at all.

You really have no idea what it all involves. Clients aren't always upfront either. Most of them will say that they are ready to move. I always double check, do they have the residency visa, bank account, cheque book, funds, and many many times, when you have spend lots of time doing viewings (and all the time spent on arranging it, we really don't all walk around with keys of every property, and cause everyone is working on the same units, it takes endless calls to find out if it is actually still available), then they tell you oh ok but I don't actually have all my paperwork, or they don't have the funds ready or whatever, loads of excuses, and you never see them again.
I am very loyal to my clients, I will work hard for them, but I expect the same from them.

MataHari

again, this works both ways....I always ask what do you want, and still it happens during viewings that they suddenly dont want to be above the 5th floor, that they have a dog so is that allowed, that they only want SE facing living area or god knows what else that is really specific and they failed to mention that beforehand.

With regard to getting very specific details...we have to rely on the info the landlord or the other agent gives. We won't know if it's accurate until we have actually seen the property, and often we see it for the first time with a client. And yes, if you tilt you head at a certain angle whilst standing on a chair, there is seaview...or the storage cupboard with no windows can fit a bed but it's not actually a bedroom...these things happen and there is no way we can know beforehand. With the high turnover of properties, it's impossible to visit every new unit that comes on the market. If you work long enough in a certain area you will learn which unit have seaview, which ones are next to construction etc, but there will still be surprises when you do viewings.

I never ever show above budget, what's the point in that. But it does happen a lot that clients will start really low, you show them loads, they don't want any and then as by magic they can suddenly up their budget and you can start all over again.

And there are landlords, that as soon as they know they get a lot of viewings, will up the price, which makes the agent look really really bad, and it's a pain in the ass, but it's got nothing to do with me being a bad agent.

Oh and it also happens on here, people pm me, I give them detailed info with regard to the whole process and any questions they have, and I never hear back from them again, often not even a thank you...

Expatfo

For property in Abu Dhabi to rent preferably from uk please

shiva

Expatfo

Hi it was a villa I'm looking for in al reef
Thanks for all the help