Everyone knows that Dubai has been dubbed the playground of the rich and famous. However, there is a thriving down to earth class of professionals also re-locating here, to start off their new careers and lives.

The direct benefit of this phenomenon is the meteoric rise of the real estate sector in Dubai, and in the capital of the country, Abu Dhabi.

If people are re-locating here in droves, they all need housing. Real Estate Developers are announcing project after project, from Towers to palatial villas with exclusivity guaranteed.

Property Rush hour in the UAE:

That is exactly how you could describe the situation outside the big real estate developers offices on announcements of a new project. Entire buildings and phases of villas get sold out in a matter of hours if not a few days.

Then of course these units are put back on the secondary market, where the serious investors and end buyers who are accustomed to traditionally studying an investment, begin to make their choice.

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A visit to the Master Developers Sales Office:

Serious investors and Home Buyers do visit the Sales offices of Developers, prior to committing their funds into a property. Previously, the sales forces at the big developers offices had it easy… they knew that the moment someone stepped into their premises, they were already a client. There were no introductions or sales pitches to be made. It was direct from brochure to form filling and down payment.

Properties were sold off plan, directly off brochure or the ubiquitous DVD presentation.

Today it’s how you present a project in Dubai, i.e. the Prestige Value:

With so many high end projects coming on to the market, investors can now afford to think twice and select the best project.

To retain the prestige and value of a project, the Sales and Marketing departments of progressive developers now offer:

• A dedicated Customer service agent - To look after the discerning customer and answer any questions
• A site tour - This is now possible as the off plan properties are now firmly on ground and rising
• Presentation Theater - Featuring Real video of the surrounding neighbor hood complemented with photographs and a guided voice tour.

Developers and Real Estate Agencies need to Position themselves as big players in the UAE:

As a Developer, you don’t need to be one of the Giants such as Emaar, Nakheel, Aldar or similar, to play on a level field when attracting clients.

We have already established that currently there is no need to do anything other than offer a prospective client a cup of coffee and a brochure as the only sales aid… However, what sets the bigger Developers apart from the rest is the small attention to details. It is ironic that what is considered ’small’* here, is actually demanded by professional investors in more mature markets.

The ‘Small’* details are: Where exactly is the location of the project in context to the entire emirate or other landmarks and major highways?. What direction is the building facing? What are the lifestyle facilities around, schools, malls, parks etc.

Although hard to believe, a majority of the developers and real estate marketing agencies are still on the initial quick money hangover, and will fail to answer these questions, expecting the investor to do the homework themselves.

This is where an aspiring Developer can make a long term name for themselves, by being prepared for that occasional professional investor who walks in - or - more importantly, presenting a project professionaly even before being asked! The trick to becoming a trusted name is paying attention to these ‘little’* (pun intended) details, that real Estate professionals in mature markets world wide adhere to.

Some Solutions for Presenting a prestigious project to clients:

• Sales and Marketing managers… Take a look at the current display area of the sales office; are you satisfied with just the scale model (if any) and the few brochures lying around? while offering a self service formula as used in cafes and buffets?

• Put in at minimum a large flat screen display panel that runs a user selectable menu of the project. - Give the investor a choice via remote control or touch panel to select videos to answer their basic questions

• Train the staff to answer with confidence and accurately, such questions as exact square footage of a property, location of an apartment etc. While this is a no-brainer, you would be surprised at the amount of wrong answers you get from a majority of the sales agents/presenters at developer offices.

• Use high end Interactive Display systems that can offer an interactive overview of a project. - These systems are not meant to be cheaper than or replace a brochure, they are meant to add to the prestige value of the showroom or sales office.

Space permitting, there should be at least a 10 seater presentation style theater where interactive presentations can be made to high net worth clientele and buyers who may have pertinent questions when deciding where to invest their money.

Remember, these high end ‘frills’* are what make your brand name stand out and fit in with the image of Dubai!

Do you have any suggestions on how to improve brand status and credibility of a real estate marketing office? tell us below…

* these aren’t extras, but standard best practice methodology in mature real estate markets, worldwide.