Property Finder, the leading property portal in the MENA region hosted the second edition of its Annual Property Finder Connect, under the theme of ‘Future Forward: The Role of Trust and Technology in Real Estate’.

The exclusive event brought  together over 300 real estate professionals and thought leaders from across the UAE, including Mr. Majid Al Marri, CEO of the Real Estate Registration Sector at Dubai Land Department.

Key highlights of the day included the launch of Property Finder’s first white paper – Opening Doors: insights, trends, and forecasts for real estate in the UAE, as well as the PF Academy, an industry-focused, digital learning platform, endorsed by Dubai Land Department. 

Opening Doors to Community Living Insights

Shedding light on the significance of vibrant, integrated communities where people feel a sense of belonging, the Property Finder’s first white paper reveals a shift in the property landscape, which is increasingly becoming more community oriented.  Built off “The Property Finder UAE Community Living Survey” conducted in 2023, the white paper features multiple perspectives on community living, as explained by Michael Lahyani, Founder and CEO, Property Finder; Nina Klishevich, Principal and General Manager, Blueground Dubai; Amira Sajwani, Managing Director of Sales and Development at DAMAC Properties, Co-founder and CEO of PRYPCO and Co-founder of Amali Properties; Abdullah Alajaji, Managing Director, Driven Properties; Kika Pavese, Managing Director, MD Real Estate and Sevgi Gur, Chief Marketing Officer, Property Finder.  The findings show that: 

• Creating cities that are sustainable, resilient and inclusive is a policymaker priority, calling for an influx of global talent to fuel this growth. This need is serviced by changes in residency law, including investor visas, multiple, entry visas, and a 10-year Golden Visa granted to property, buyers, entrepreneurs, and exceptional talents
• Community living is being enhanced by national urbanization plans – accounting for the daily movement of people from housing to workspaces, creating connections and mobility pathways to enhance quality of life
• Safety, ease of living and diverse offering are factors aiding the consideration of the UAE as a home
• Investors choose the UAE for heightened returns on investments, favorable tax and regulatory environments, flexible payments and prevalence of property management
• Savvy and aspirational home-seekers are driving up demand, especially for community centric living, within properties with spacious layouts that can be personalized
• Walkable and cycle-friendly neighborhoods outperform the wider market in Dubai, in terms of popularity and price. 
• Consumers demand sustainability, which when met through blue and green spaces, with responsive urban infrastructure and facilities, can turn even buildings into neighborhoods 

Mr. Majid Al Marri, CEO of the Real Estate Registration Sector at Dubai Land Department said: “As regulators of the real estate industry, trust and transparency form the cornerstone of our efforts. We want to guarantee that informed decisions are being made by our ‘citizens of choice’, and stakeholder collaboration is the key to ensuring that these values are reflected throughout Dubai’s real estate sector. In this vein, public-private partnerships are essential to curating the world class communities and industry that continue to strengthen Dubai’s position on the global map. Our ongoing collaboration with Property Finder to further educate aspiring and practicing industry professionals through the PF Academy, serves to evidence our commitment to this mandate.”

Fostering trust and transparency through two way communication

Held at the Museum of the Future, the Property Finder Connect 2024 saw a range of discussions with regional and global leaders take place, including Peter Rollings, Non-Executive Director, Foxtons Group; Ben Saunders, Record Breaking Polar Explorer and Gregory Dewerpe, Founder and Managing Partner, A/O, amongst others.

Michael Lahyani, Founder and CEO, Property Finder added: “At Property Finder, our underlying purpose is to inspire people to lead the life they deserve. We do this by empowering homeseekers and investors with data to drive informed decision making. Our most recent insights are shared within the whitepaper unveiled today, focusing on an area of growing interest – community living. Further to this, we innovate to make the property search journey more seamless, extending beyond our product portfolio. We want to educate industry professionals regardless of the level of expertise, through the launch of PF Academy – our digital learning solution. It brings me great pride to be introducing these market first initiatives at our annual PF Connect event, to encourage conversations that matter and provide impactful solutions to the challenges we see today.”

Sevgi Gur, Chief Marketing Officer, Property Finder commented: “We can deliver trust and transparency through continuous innovation, leveraging technology and investing in talent development across the real estate ecosystem. At our thought leadership platform – PF Connect, we aim to drive two way communication that serves this purpose. Using this opportunity to introduce our first white paper and launch the new learning platform, elevates the real estate industry with right knowledge and tools, creating the ideal example of the impact we can generate through a mindset of continuous improvement.”

Pioneering innovation for enhanced consumer experiences 

To support talent in achieving greater trust and transparency, through its innovative technology – Property Finder announced the launch of PF Academy, endorsed by the Dubai Land Department. Leveraging the new platform, Property Finder aims to reach over 50,000 industry players across administrators, agents and business managers. PF Academy offers ambitious industry aspirants and existing players a chance to upskill and grow with personalized learning modules, made available using a phased approach in the months to come.