Find your place in Dubai.

In 2013 I had just finished my degree in Barcelona and could not find work anywhere in Europe. My father, newly retired after twenty years with Emirates, was buying an apartment in Downtown Dubai, and asked the brokerage he bought through whether they had a job for his son. They did. I flew back, started from zero, and never expected to end up in real estate. Before long I had founded McCone Properties, and I am proud to still be running it today. It was the best decision I could have made.

My mother Johanna joined not long after. Her five children had all grown up and left home, so she came in as a broker with no property experience at all, after twenty-five years spent raising us. Within a few years she was one of the best agents we had, and a large part of why the company made it through the early years while it was still finding its feet.

My point is this. Neither of us had years of real estate behind us. What we had was hunger, hard work and the habit of looking after clients properly, and that has counted for more here than experience ever did. It is still how we hire, whatever someone's age or background, and it is still how we work: know the building, tell the truth about the price, and let the client decide. If you are buying, selling or moving here, start with a conversation. And if you are looking for a way into this industry, as I once was, the door is open.