Case Study 1: Guiding an End-User to the Right Home – Not Just What Was Being Sold

Case Study 1: Guiding an End-User to the Right Home – Not Just What Was Being Sold


Client Profile

  • Name: Omar R.

  • Background: Recently relocated from the UK with his family, looking for a ready-to-move-in home in Dubai

  • Budget: AED 3.2 million

  • Goal: End-use property in a well-connected, family-friendly neighborhood with long-term livability

The Situation

Omar approached a few agents who all aggressively pitched him the same cluster of newly handed-over apartments in an emerging area, citing "immediate availability" and "great investor demand." All the offers shared one common feature:

  • Same developers

  • High agent commission incentives

  • Lack of real consideration for Omar's lifestyle, commute, or future resale value

These properties, while attractive on paper, lacked proper surrounding infrastructure and had limited proven capital appreciation history.

What We Did at 2nd Opinion

  • We began with a buyer-focused discovery call, not a sales pitch. We listened to Omar’s actual needs: shorter commute to work in DIFC, good schools nearby, and a more settled community.

  • We mapped his commute radius and analyzed school ratings, area service charges, and resale performance trends across 12 communities.

  • Our analysis showed the properties pitched by agents had average appreciation of just 3-4% annually over the past three years, while a slightly older project in a better-connected community had 6-8% capital growth year-on-year.

We recommended a 3-bedroom unit in a mature, low-density community that had just entered the resale market due to a relocation sale. The apartment was slightly older, but well-maintained, had a private park, and was 15 minutes from Omar’s workplace.

The Outcome

  • Omar purchased the home for AED 3.125 million (Saving around 75K as compared to his allocated budget due to our negotiations)

  • Within 8 months, similar units in the same block were listed at AED 3.6 million

  • More importantly, his family is happily settled with his children enrolled in a nearby international school

  • He avoided a decision that would’ve locked his family into a poorly serviced, resale-resistant property

  • He paid no commission to 2nd Opinion and received data-backed advice with his interest at the center

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