Expanding horizons

When I visited Ross Gardiner, director of Lannhill Real Estate, an agency in Dubai, he was busy chasing up the expansion work at the company’s new office. Office furniture and work stations were being put in place, and it was good to sit amid all the activity inside indicating Lanhill’s activity picking up outside.

“We have moved from a 1,200 square feet office in the marina to a 4,200 square feet in prime location facing Shaikh Zayed Road,” Ross tells me. “Staff volumes have increased 400 per cent,” he adds.

Evidently, an expansion on such a scale would not happen without the confidence of actual transactions. Going by what real estate agencies say, plenty of action is taking place in Dubai. Those involved in the market say overseas investors are looking at second homes and holiday homes in certain key locations in the city. Not surprising then that the volume of transactions on the Palm Jumeirah has gone up by 87 per cent in the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year. Enough proof to show Dubai holds its pride of place in the region.