Every deal has two sides, and an agent is paid by the side they protect. In Dubai a buyer is almost always talking to the seller’s agent and assumes they are on their side. We act for the buyer only — from the first viewing to registration of title.
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In both cases we act for the buyer: we represent neither the developer nor the seller. What differs is the market, the depth of due diligence, and who pays us.
On the secondary market a buyer-side fee is standard and is recorded in Form B. The question is not whether you pay — it is whose interests the person you pay represents.
Every recommendation rests on sources you can check yourself: the Land Department transaction register, the register of approved service charges, and registered tenancy contracts.
Not asking prices, but the sums for which comparable homes in this building changed hands, and how those have moved over three years.
The approved rate per square foot for the specific building and its movement year on year. A building can look inexpensive and cost AED 60,000 a year simply to hold.
Registered tenancy contracts for the building: the actual rent achieved, which is what we base the yield on rather than the brochure figure.
Delivery dates of the developer’s previous projects, the quality of building management, and any history of disputes in the owners’ association.
There is none, but the mechanics are worth understanding. On a new project the developer pays a commission to whoever introduces the buyer, and your price is identical whether you come alone or with us. The choice is not between paying and not paying — it is between having a professional read the contract and having nobody read it.
On the secondary market a buyer-side fee is standard and is recorded in Form B. The question is not the payment itself but whose interests the recipient represents. When you pay the fee, we can tell you a home is overpriced. The seller’s agent will not.
We do act for sellers, under separate instructions, and that service is described separately. What we do not do is act on both sides of the same transaction. If you engage us as a buyer, we will not offer you a property we are instructed to sell.
The fee is payable on completion, not for the search itself. If the market holds nothing that meets your requirements, we will say plainly that the purchase should wait.
Off-plan takes days: supply is finite and we track it continuously. The secondary market takes weeks: the right home in the right building at a defensible price does not appear on request.
Most of our buyers are outside the UAE when the work begins. Viewings are held by video and part of the paperwork is signed online. Where attendance in person is required — at the notary and at registration — you can be represented under power of attorney.
Heart of the City is a licensed real estate brokerage in Dubai. We do not provide financial, investment, tax or legal advice; where required we introduce independent professionals. The scope of work and the fee are agreed before the search begins.
A short conversation is enough to know whether this is an off-plan question or a secondary one — and whether we are the right people for it. It commits you to nothing.
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