[PropertyGuru]

Dear ALL,

This is a very interesting and important question and therefore I would like to share my views with you on this topic. Also I would like to hear your views as well.

Firstly, I am from UK and now living in Dubai (2 Years). I study the property market as a hobby and I interact with Agents as well.

In my experience I have found that the "Cowboy" agents have similar behaviours. We all know about being pushy and in your face as a negative point but there are some advanced honesty / Good Agent tests:

1.) Ask the Agent which properties does he/she specialize in ?
Most of them tend to concentrate on a particular area / development and that's where they tend to make most of their commission - I am yet to know of any agent specializing in the whole Dubai market!?

2.) Then ask them which is the best property for you ?
If he has not even bothered to in-depth understand your needs and requirements then you can question his sincerity. Also if he is insisting that his speciality properties are for you without much justification then that's another point to note. Also if he cannot offer you similar developments or compare, then he is limited in knowledge and therefore a Risk for you!

3.) Ask them the Risks involved ?
No property development / developer is free from Risks. You have the right to know the level of Risks involved. A good agent will not only answer your question but also give an honest answer backed up by some facts (and not what the developer told him).

4.) Ask them facts and statistics about the Development / Developer.
It is your right to know if the Developer on average has a 6-month delay on his properties. Who will tell you this, I hear you ask, well a GOOD / HONEST agent will!

In addition here are some points in my opinion of a good / honest agent:

- He / she thoroughly investigates your need. This may mean most of the initial conversation should involve YOU speaking and the agent taking notes. Also in the solution they find you, they should make reference to your requirements as mentioned by you, to prove this is the best fit solution.

Professionally I am a consultant and I believe being a good Agent is being a true Consultant. The client has a problem / need that you must analyse and give best options available and make a full Pro's & Con's analysis on each option. Then in the Agent's professional opinion suggest the best option for you. The Agent may waste time on some window shoppers but they should spot them for a start and if not then eventually they will meet a real buyer who will compensate the time wasted on the window shoppers.

- He / She is willing to offer impartial advice even if that means that he/she has to use a fellow agent whose properties can satisfy your needs and thereby reducing the agent's own commission.

- He / She offers honest advice backed by facts (as mentioned above) such as be careful of such and such developer as according to XYZ magazine most of their properties have poor finishing.

- He / She should inform you of the risks as mentioned above.

- He / She should be polite, a good listener, professional (which means if he promised a call back at 3pm then he should call you at that time - If he cannot then he should spend a lot of time apologizing and explaining why he broke his WORD which is exactly what you rely upon for the rest of the deal!)

- He / She should be talking about after sales service without you prompting. This shows that the Agent is interested in a professional long-term relationship. After all this Agent is the reason you will release the cash and he / she is the bridge between you and the developer so after sales responsibility lies with the Agent.

- He / She should be willing to offer Progress Follow-ups on properties you buy off floor-plans. Many people complain that after paying the deposit etc. they are left in the Dark as the agent does not inform them if the development has been delayed etc.. Especially for clients abroad who cannot fly to Dubai frequently to get an update, they rely wholly upon the Agent. If the agent has an issue with the Developer and they are also kept in the dark, they should stop dealing with this developer based on lack of professionalism and trust. They should highlight this to future customers as well to warn them.

Anyway, I think this is enough for now - sorry about the long post !!!!

Thank you for listening. I would love to hear your opinions !

Property Guru