Emirati Khulood Al Hosani never imagined she would find her true calling as a property broker in Dubai.
But once the decision to switch to the real estate sector was made, she refused to leave anything to chance.
Ms Al Hosani signed up for the Dubai Real Estate Broker Programme, which was launched to boost local representation in the sector, along with 165 other Emiratis.
Equipped with the necessary skills after the three-day training, she went on to secure her first sale.
She sold an apartment in Dubai to an Emirati.
“I felt great joy when I sold my first property after obtaining the licence,” Ms Al Hosani added.
Making the switch
She moved from the public sector to the private sector recently, after taking the role of sustainability and government relations manager for PSA BDP in the Middle East last year.
The influx of property buyers following the Ukraine-Russia war prompted her to take on her new career, to cash in on the realty boom.
“A lot of my contacts started calling me to find properties in Dubai to invest in,” Ms Al Hosani said, adding that her “decent database” of prospective buyers was helpful.
She ended up converting some of those inquiries into sales, at which point she thought: “Why not work as a broker?”
In 2023, Ms Al Hosani travelled to Russia for a property event, to build her contacts and leverage her knowledge in the sector.
She then decided to get a licence by signing up for the Dubai Land Department's national programme, which aims to allocate between 10 per cent and 15 per cent of units to be sold by Emirati brokers.
“I was accepted in the second batch and was trained by professionals and experts in real estate,” she said.
What the national programme offers
“It is a free programme that has so many advantages,” she said, adding it offers Emiratis greater work flexibility.
“You get to keep your day job and work as a broker part-time.”
And, for those looking for full-time work in the sector, the programme also helps secure employment at an estate agency.
Ms Al Hosani, however, resisted the opportunity to start her real estate agency, despite the programme offering her an option to do so.
“I'm in no rush to own a company. I want to develop my skills first, meet more developers and clients, and turn my name into a reliable brand,” she said, adding that she continues to work at PSA BDP.
The programme also connects brokers to top developers, especially when new projects are announced.
“Often brokers struggle to get information about a popular project that sees people queue up as soon as it's launched. But, with this programme, we get access to that information sooner than the rest and get it across to prospective buyers,” she said.
The role of a broker is demanding, with Ms Al Hosani admitting to being on call all week, even during holidays. Interestingly, she uses her passion for horse riding to help her face the challenges.
“Horse riding gives you special skills, such as patience, emotional intelligence and more. And, these are important for a broker.”
Today, she owns a horse riding training company and a travel agency focused on adventures with horses.
Ms Al Hosani believes her stint in the private sector has also helped her keep pace with the constant changes in the property market.
“In the private sector too we are constantly learning and evolving, and are rewarded with quick promotions, much like in the property sector,” she added.
With the Dubai property market registering a record 17 per cent annual jump in real estate transactions to 1.6 million across market segments in 2023, Ms Al Hosani believes now is the time to invest.
She urges future buyers in Dubai to invest in off-plan projects.
