Steven Leckie

Steven Leckie 🇬🇧 A Dubai property expert since 2003
Associate Director

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🇬🇧 Your Trusted Dubai Property Expert
Associate Director - haus&haus Real Estate

19/04/2026

Dubai just regulated short term rentals.
This is not a warning sign. It is a signal that the market is maturing.

Bad operators are being filtered out. Property values are being protected. Rental yields are becoming more stable. And the government is proving it is serious about long term growth.

Regulation free does not mean high returns. It means high risk. What makes Dubai stand out is predictability. You know the rules, you know they will be enforced, and you know your investment is protected.

If these new STR rules have you second guessing Dubai, they should actually be doing the opposite.
The right property, in the right area, with the right strategy still wins. Want to know how to position yourself before the market shifts further?

Visit stevenleckie.com to get in touch and watch the full video on my YouTube channel.

18/04/2026

Balcony pools in Dubai apartments, worth it or not?

The maintenance costs, the space trade-off, and the engineering risks that most agents never bring up before you sign.

If you are looking at Dubai property or already own one of these units, this short video is worth your time.

17/04/2026

My team and I went to visit Wasl and put together a full breakdown for you.

Government-backed, 60,000+ properties, 1,000+ buildings, 8 golf courses, 35 international hotels. They have got scale and they have got history in this market.

Their main communities right now: JGE 2, Wasl Gates in Jebel Ali, and Wasl 1 in Zabeel.
If you are looking at something launching soon, The Nine Collective in Wasl 1 is worth looking at. 2BR from AED 4.4M, 50/50 payment plan, Q2 2030 completion. EOIs are open now.

We also have Boulevard Park from AED 1.4M in Wasl Gates and Pinewood units available in JGE.
Message me or visit stevenleckie.com and the team will give you the full picture.

16/04/2026

Here is something worth thinking about if you have been waiting for Dubai property prices to drop.
Developers are not panicking. The strong ones are holding their pricing, protecting the quality of their projects, and protecting their investors. What you are seeing instead is more flexible payment structures, adjusted timelines, small incentives on fees.

Big across-the-board discounts? Very rare.

And when they do appear, ask yourself where that saving is actually coming from.
Rising construction costs and tighter labour markets mean something has to give, and it usually shows up in the product or the timeline.

The people making well-timed decisions right now are not looking for the cheapest entry point. They are looking at which developers are still standing behind their projects, and what still makes sense long term.

If you have questions about where to focus in this market, drop a comment or send a message. More at stevenleckie.com.

15/04/2026

I’m seeing more investors from the UK buying property through companies in Dubai.

But here’s the reality:

That strategy doesn’t always make sense in the United Arab Emirates.

In this clip with we break it down:

• Buy under a company → you may pay 9% corporate tax on profit
• Buy in your personal name → no income tax, no capital gains tax

So why do people still do it?

Usually to optimise tax back in their home country and not in the UAE.

🎙 Full episode now live on YouTube.

14/04/2026

Golf Vale in Emaar South.
A fully functioning community right next to Al Maktoum International Airport, soon to be the largest in the world.

Golf course active. Parks in. Schools nearby. Community centre right on the doorstep.
2 bed apartments starting from around 1.7 million. From Emaar. In a live, built-out community.

That kind of entry point does not last. Emaar pricing trends one way, and their delivery track record gives buyers real confidence when it comes to exit.

If you want a full breakdown or want to talk through the numbers, head to stevenleckie.com to get in touch.

08/04/2026

One of the biggest mistakes foreign companies make when setting up in the United Arab Emirates:

They hire a manager from overseas without an Emirates ID.

The problem?

You can’t open your immigration or labour file without it.
And if you can’t open those, you can’t hire staff.

In this clip with , we break down:

• Why this happens
• What it blocks
• And how to solve it properly

It’s a small detail, but it can completely delay your setup.

🎙 Full episode now live on YouTube.

07/04/2026

Everyone is talking about distressed deals in Dubai right now.
But here is the truth: most of what people are calling distress is simply a seller who is willing to negotiate.

A real distressed deal means the seller has to sell, there is time and financial pressure behind it, and the price is genuinely below market. That is not what we are seeing across the board right now.

What we are seeing is a shift in leverage. Buyers have pulled back, transactions have slowed, and the market has entered a pause with pressure. Not a collapse.

The smart move right now is not chasing distress. It is finding opportunity: motivated sellers, mispriced assets, developers open to structuring deals.

If you understand this market for what it actually is, you are already ahead of most people.
For more Dubai real estate insights, follow and head to stevenleckie.com.

05/04/2026

Most Dubai investors are reading the new holiday home regulations completely wrong.

More rules don't mean lower returns. When the baseline quality standard goes up, the properties that meet it become more valuable. Lower quality operators get pushed out, competition drops, and premium rents go up.

If you own a holiday home in Dubai right now, this is your window. Fresh furniture, professional photos, responsive management. These are no longer optional. They are your edge.

Visit stevenleckie.com to get in touch and watch the full video on my youtube channel.

04/04/2026

"Nobody is buying property right now."
That is what people are saying.

Here is what is actually happening: I have been in client meetings every single day this week.
This week, one of the consultants in my team, helped a client find an apartment on Sheikh Zayed Road. The client sat down with the numbers and signed on the spot. Because the fundamentals told him everything he needed to know.

Strong rental yields. A city that keeps growing. Prices that will not look like this once sentiment shifts.

The best deals are never made when everyone is confident. They are made when everyone else is waiting.

Visit stevenleckie.com or send me a DM to talk through what the Dubai market looks like right now.

03/04/2026

We paid a visit to Beachwalk by Imtiaz on Dubai Islands and here is what we found.
Imtiaz have been developing in Dubai since 2014 and this is one of their recently handed-over projects. The units are fully furnished, the finishes are to a high standard and the price points are still competitive for a waterfront location.

Dubai Islands itself is one of the last underdeveloped waterfront precincts left in the city. Think about where Palm Jumeirah or Bluewaters were before the infrastructure was built out and you will get an idea of what this area could become. Our team walked through the amenities and shared their honest thoughts on the investment case.

Worth a watch if Dubai property is on your radar.
Visit stevenleckie.com to get in touch.

02/04/2026

Dubai is building over 6,000 kilometres of walkways across 160 areas by 2040, and it is a bigger deal for property owners than most people realise.

The RTA's Dubai Walk Master Plan is one piece of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which is working towards a 20-minute city where residents can reach 80% of their daily needs on foot or by bike. Green corridors will link homes, workplaces, and community hubs across the city.

Walkability lifts liveability scores. Liveability drives property demand. And property demand protects your investment long term.

Dubai is making this investment at scale right now. If you own here or you are thinking about buying, this is the Dubai you are buying into.

Follow Steven for more Dubai real estate updates at stevenleckie.com

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