It sounds great, doesn’t it? Sipping champagne on a 100-foot yacht, as you sail past the Burj Al Arab in the sunset. For good measure, your cosmetic surgeon is on board for a quick Botox top-up, just in time for the lavish party you will be attending later that night in a $100 million villa on the Palm Jumeirah. Another day off in the life of a real estate agent.
Well, at least that how it seems if you have watched the reality shows Selling Sunset and Million Dollar Listing. The latter proved such a great hit in the US, STARZPLAY created a Dubai-based version which has quickly become a huge hit. The ultimate glamour job, where a cocktail of style, good looks and charming persuasion are the road to millions in your bank account.
The truth? I suspect, from the many agents I have spoken to, is far less Instagram-worthy. Real estate is a gruelling, often thankless job that requires grit, persistence, and a skin thick enough to withstand constant rejection.
Influx of aspiring agents
Take Dubai, for example. The city has seen an influx of aspiring real estate agents, many of whom have invested significant time, money, and energy into obtaining their licenses. They enter the field with visions of luxury properties and hefty commissions dancing in their heads, only to find themselves facing a market that is fiercely competitive and far less forgiving than they imagined.
Let’s consider the numbers. In Dubai alone, over 20,000 licensed real estate brokers compete for a slice of the property pie. With more than 99,200 properties on the market the competition is fierce. Sales is a numbers game, but with this many brokers chasing a relatively small number of units, the odds don’t look great. Bear in mind that many of the more accomplished brokers will have the top developers (and their units) already exclusively assigned to them. If you are the new kid in town, on a commission-only deal, you probably need decent savings to survive before you can even think about Botox.
Surely, these shows are just selling a highlight reel masquerading as reality? They’re the equivalent of showing only the goals scored in a football game while ignoring the gruelling practices, injuries, and benched players. The result? A surge of starry-eyed individuals rushing to obtain their real estate licenses, only to face a harsh reality that bears little resemblance to their Netflix-induced dreams.
But real estate isn’t the only industry falling victim to Hollywood’s rose-tinted lens. Shows like Suits and Mad Men have similarly romanticised the legal and advertising worlds. They present a realm of quick-witted, charismatic professionals always armed with the perfect quip or brilliant idea. The reality? Long hours of tedious work, difficult clients, and complex ethical dilemmas.
The legal profession, far from being a parade of courtroom theatrics and clever verbal sparring, often involves mind-numbing hours of research and document review. Similarly, advertising isn’t all creative brainstorming sessions and martini lunches. Just like real estate, it takes a lot of pitching the close a deal – and the new kids in town are always starting at the back of the race.
Misrepresentation of real estate industry
But perhaps no industry has been as grossly misrepresented as real estate. These shows have reduced a complex, demanding career to a series of staged conflicts and ostentatious displays of wealth. They fail to capture the true essence of successful real estate professionals: perseverance, market knowledge, negotiation skills, and the ability to build lasting relationships.
The danger lies not just in misrepresentation but in the false expectations these shows create. They lure people into the profession with promises of easy money and a luxurious lifestyle, setting them up for disappointment and failure. Many newcomers, unprepared for the realities of the job, quickly become disillusioned and leave the industry, having wasted time and resources chasing a mirage.
Real estate can be a rewarding career, but it’s not for the faint of heart. Success in this field (and any field) isn’t achieved overnight, and it certainly doesn’t come with a guaranteed wardrobe of designer clothes or a sports car.
As viewers, we need to approach these shows with a critical eye, understanding that they are entertainment, not documentaries. And as an industry, real estate could probably do a better job of presenting a more accurate picture of what the profession truly entails.
Though given that might not be good for ratings, it probably won’t happen.
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