Just too bad I picked this advert (see above) to showcase my experience in our rental apartment search here in Dubai. This advert is a repeat of the one the agent put up on Sep 23. I tried to reach her yesterday, and left a message for her to call back. I tried again this morning, and again I wasn't successful. I decided not to leave another message. By now, I know their tag line isn't sincere, "we do care, we do call back".
I decided to keep calling her mobile, and was lucky to get through on my second try. Then she dropped the bombshell on me. It was not a 2-bedroom apartment, but a 1-bedroom. Why didn't she correct the error when they list the apartment again? But that is the way the property folks conduct their business here. Of course there are good agents, but I haven't met any yet.
A fellow Singaporean family I met at school is also looking for an apartment. She has even more stories to share as she is much further along in the search. The most memorable one was when she appeared at the apartment but the agent wasn't there. She called her on her mobile and the agent's response was she just got out of bed!
It is also common practice here to view the apartment without the agent. You either pick up the house keys from under the door-mat (I did this once) or collect it from the security counter.
By the way, the landlord doesn't pay the 5% commission, the renter does. Who is working for who?
I decided to keep calling her mobile, and was lucky to get through on my second try. Then she dropped the bombshell on me. It was not a 2-bedroom apartment, but a 1-bedroom. Why didn't she correct the error when they list the apartment again? But that is the way the property folks conduct their business here. Of course there are good agents, but I haven't met any yet.
A fellow Singaporean family I met at school is also looking for an apartment. She has even more stories to share as she is much further along in the search. The most memorable one was when she appeared at the apartment but the agent wasn't there. She called her on her mobile and the agent's response was she just got out of bed!
It is also common practice here to view the apartment without the agent. You either pick up the house keys from under the door-mat (I did this once) or collect it from the security counter.
By the way, the landlord doesn't pay the 5% commission, the renter does. Who is working for who?
1 comment:
i've got a list of agents, if you want them :) irene
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