A business built on trust

After ten years in Dubai’s mega competitive property market, we asked our three Managing Directors what it took to build a reliable and recommended Real Estate Group from the ground up.

“If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time,” – Steve Jobs.

In other words, we often only see success after it’s been achieved – not realising the years of perseverance that have gone into it. In haus & haus’ case ten years to be exact.

Yes, this year we’re celebrating ten years since three British real estate colleagues – Simon Baker, Luke Remington, and James Perry – jointly decided to ditch their jobs at a traditional brokerage to build a totally new kind of agency.

Tired of working in an industry full of sharks and armed with a belief in the heights Dubai could achieve on the international stage, they established haus & haus Real Estate – a company founded on the principle that a client’s happiness must always come first over just ‘doing the deal.’

The vision? For haus & haus to become known globally as the UAE’s most trusted and reputable real estate company, one that embodies the key attributes of the emirates – positivity, ambition, grit, resilience, and a ‘can do’ spirit.  

For them, brokers would no longer be brokers – they would be Property Consultants. And they weren’t simply on hand to walk clients through their journey, they were there to unlock opportunities that only the Dubai market could deliver.

All three knew firsthand what the emirate could offer. Luke, James and Simon each came to Dubai to seek new opportunities and ended up building fantastic lives here. Today, they say they still get genuinely excited seeing haus & haus clients make similarly life-changing decisions.  

Not to mention the satisfaction of enabling young employees from overseas to come to Dubai and thrive.

The company has gone from having just a handful of staff members in 2013 to boasting a team of over 350 – as well as opening three client facing offices and launching seven business divisions: Residential Sales, Residential Leasing, Off Plan & Investments, Commercial Sales & Leasing, Holiday Rental, Property Management, and Home Maintenance (Breathe).

Oh… and being featured in popular BBC factual entertainment show Dubai Hustle (an update on that soon).

To survive in any industry in Dubai takes dedication, but to rise to the very top from scratch takes an uncompromising commitment to quality and a will to achieve great things. So, we decided to get all three founders together to throw out a few questions about their journey so far.
 

As haus celebrates ten years in business, what’s the company's secret to success?

LR: There is no real secret. It’s just down to a lot of hard work; plus, we’ve been very fortunate to recruit some of the best talent around to make haus & haus what it is today.  

We also have a strong set of values that we abide by, and we strive every day to unlock opportunities for our clients. Fortunately, people can see on Google reviews that we embody the values we talk about.  

Overall, our mantra is to consistently get better and have a ‘one per cent improvement a day’ attitude.
 

Has being a company leader changed much over the years?

JP: I went from being an agent in a very niche segment of Dubai’s market in one specific area – like most agents in the emirate – to putting on various different hats as a business owner.  

At the beginning I was doing everything from content writing and marketing to recruitment and training – even accounts. But then as you grow you start to hire people with specific skills to help the business expand.  

I’d say all three of us are still very flexible in our roles each day, but getting amazing people on board has made a huge difference.
 

Are you still as hungry for success as year one?

SB: Definitely. As a competitive management team, maintaining our position as one of the leading property companies seems only natural to us. To do this we have focused on building a strong network of partners and solid relationships with Dubai's best developers.

And now with the exciting 2040 plan for Dubai, we’re even more motivated because clients have totally changed their mindset. Back when we first started out, expats would plan only to stay for a couple of years but now people are putting down roots. That’s why sales are increasing and why offering a high quality service and fostering long-term relationships are essential to success.
 

What’s it really like leading a big Dubai real estate company?

LR: I think perhaps people sometimes don’t understand the challenges we deal with on a day-to-day basis. There are a lot of hours that get put into the business and it requires real grit and determination.  

There’s also the intense thought process that needs to go into every decision. This job requires a lot of time, effort, and focus.  

In my experience, the further along in the business you get and as growth occurs you do become fully emerged in it – as business partners I think we’d all say we’re hugely passionate about what we do.
 

How would you describe working at haus & haus? Why is it special?

JP: I think we’re unique for having 30 different languages spoken in the business and a wide age demographic. There’s a lot of people with different backgrounds at haus & haus, but everyone that comes to the office says there is a nice energy when you walk through the door – and we always try to do right by our team.  

There’s also a fast, exciting pace with a lot going on and I’m proud that people like working here.
 

haus & haus Real Estate is once again nominated for the Property Finder awards. How does it feel?  

SB: It feels great. But the main thing is being consistently recognised by the top Dubai property portal reassures clients that they are dealing with a reliable and trusted company when it comes to their various property requirements – whether buying, selling, or leasing.  

I’d also say that these kinds of award nominations reflect the hard work of everyone in the company. Being applauded by industry peers outside of haus & haus gives them a well deserved pat on the back and hopefully added incentive to aim higher.  

As company leaders we never forget that our success is largely down to the fantastic talent we have around us.

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