Samantha Webb of True Blue Real Estate is celebrating completing her first year in real estate in style, the British expat closed eighteen deals last month, making it her best month to date and landing Outstanding Agent winner of September 2018!
Sam is a perfect example for professionalism. In a relatively new and growing market, Sam’s work ethic, skills, and experience are setting the bar high and without a single doubt, she is one of the most outstanding agents out there.
Anwar Chami, Property Finder Account Manager, Northern Emirates
Q&A with Samantha Webb
How long have you been in the industry?
I’ve been a part of the real estate world for only one year but, I’ve been in the UAE for five years. I worked in the motor industry for BMW & Volkswagen back in the UK, It was this role that brought me over here.
What is it like living in RAK?
Dubai is too fast paced for me, I love being able to dip in and out of Dubai for the weekend or a shopping spree but, RAK is a much quieter and community orientated place. We still have the same beaches, brunches and sunshine.
Why did you decide to become a real estate agent?
It felt like a natural transition from my previous role of corporate car sales. The best part of sales for me is the interaction with clients and although I loved working with cars it was a remote role so, working from home alone.
Which nationalities do you tend to deal with?
Mainly European – RAK has a large expat community.
How would you describe the current property market in in RAK?
I think it’s mainly distressed sales at the moment, the leasing side is still very buoyant but the sales have declined, even I can see the difference in just the year I’ve been doing this role.
Do you find that clients tend to be moving more within RAK then moving out to neighbouring emirates?
Since the prices have gone down we are seeing more clients move to Dubai as a lot of them tend to work there, and now they can have a home for the same price as in RAK and not have to do the long drive. Having said that we do also have a large amount of clients that are renewing or downgrading within RAK. This is still good for us because we can resell or release their previous property and find them a new property.
How do you tailor your approach?
I try to find out and understand what the clients needs are without making them feel like they are being questioned. I like to build a relationship, I invite them to come to our offices so they can see that we are a credible company and that we’re essentially there to help them not just be a sales person.
How do you strike the balance of what they want vs what they want to spend?
I try not to worry about the price, I think clients tend to do research before they come to see me so, I like to piece together what they want and what they need and then strike that balance.
What’s your favourite listing and why is it special?
We had an apartment in the Marina Building in Al Hamra, an architect had renovated the apartment and it was beautiful, she knew what the market was and what people wanted and it really stood out to me because it’s so unusual that a landlord will take the time to do this. It was a very quick sale and she made a large profit because of it.
Any advice for someone wanting to sell in RAK?
Call Sam at True Blue Real Estate 😉
What’s your best negotiating tip?
Commitment all the way through, get it from the very early stages. Close the deal and get the deposit. If people are serious about the deal they’ll be happy to move things along.
What’s your favourite holiday since you’ve been in the UAE?
This is a hard one because, where do you go that is better that where we live? So I’m going to say, going home to spend time with my family.
What’s your favourite thing to do on the weekend?
I go quad biking in the desert, It’s fantastic and the best way to relieve stress and forget about the week. My friends and I take a BBQ and listen to music.
If you had 2 million to invest in real estate where would you invest it?
In RAK – simple.
If you didn’t work in real estate where would you work?
It would be in exotic cars, managing the Sheikh’s fleet or something like that.
What’s the question most asked by your clients?
My point of view on the market, it’s a tough one because it’s very hard to look into the future but if I’m going on my instinct and looking at the general movement of things, I do think we are heading for a crash, and not just in the UAE. What goes up must come down, prices will always fluctuate it’s just a case of watching your investment wisely.
How big of a role does Property Finder play in your job?
The leads that we get from Property Finder are particularly good, you just know that if its a Property Finder lead it’s a high probability of converting that lead into a sale.
Do you have what it takes to be our next Outstanding Agent winner? Go to propertyfinder.ae/league to apply.
Good luck!
