Selling Dubai homes for over 40 years: 65-year-old is among first real estate brokers

Khaleej Times

23-02-2025

At 65, she is among the first and oldest Emirati real estate brokers in the UAE.
With over four decades of experience, Um Mohammed had decided to step into the world of brokerage to support her family. "At the time, my children were young, and their father's salary was not enough, so I decided to help him," the Emirati, who has eight children, told the Khaleej Times.
"The house requires expenses and responsibility," she said of the challenges of managing a household.
In the beginning, said Um Mohammed, there were only a few women in this field, 'just about five or six', and that her sales were limited to dealing with citizens and Gulf nationals in the UAE.
She also credited a family member and the Dubai Land Department department for playing a crucial role in her early career. She said the department still supports her and that she has a real estate broker card.
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Reflecting on her experiences, Um Mohammed emphasised the importance of patience in the real estate business. "Don't say that the transaction will be completed within a month or two; it takes patience and trust in God."
Sharing further insights about the real estate sector, she said prices ranged between Dh300,000 and 400,000 in the 1990s in Dubai, which later rose to Dh600,000, and Dh1 million and more in the 2000s.
Um Mohammed said she sold a house in the Rashidiya area for Dh300,000 and her biggest sale was for about Dh1.5 million for a house in Dubai on a main street 20 years ago . "I am still active, but no longer into selling houses; I go to share my experiences and to benefit and learn about the market and its changes.'
Other women in real estate
Joining Um Mohammed in the real estate industry is Fatima Ibrahim Al Zaabi, 50, from Dubai, who has recently opened her own FIZ Real Estate Company. As the first Emirati broker to sell properties in the newly launched Emirati real estate intermediary program, Fatima brings over two decades of investment experience in real estate.
'I love the field of real estate and wanted to enter it through buying during my twenties,' said Fatima.
She reflected on her interest in real estate at an early age, saying, "I was thinking of our parents and grandparents; I saw that those who managed to build wealth did so through real estate."
Fatima noted that during her early attempts to encourage friends to join the real estate field, most were resistant. "Unfortunately, when you keep a salary, its value decreases over time, but the market value of real estate increases," she added, emphasising the critical need for financial awareness.
As a writer and self-development trainer, Fatima seized the opportunity to join the real estate sector when the government opened doors for citizens in 2024.
"What made me hesitate to open my company immediately was experience because it is essential, especially since I would enter a new market, a purely male market," she said.
After working for six months in a company, she decided to launch her own enterprise, driven by a desire to gain experience.
Another inspiring figure, Shamsa Al-Saeedi, has also made her mark in the industry. "A new piece of information for me was that cash value decreases over time, but if you invest cash in assets like real estate, its value increases," she noted.
Shamsa joined the National Intermediary Program organised by the Land Department, seizing every opportunity to enhance her career. As the sales manager at Damac, she recalls the initial struggles she faced as the only Emirati woman in sales. "The beginnings were not easy; I heard many negative comments," she admitted.
However, her determination shone through when she postponed a vacation on her annual leave last year to close an Dh18 million deal.