A consortium of UAE-based real estate companies has joined forces to create a new property portal as the market looks to bounce back from a "testing six months".

Houza has brought together a collective of brokerages in an unlikely alliance to offer all real estate agencies in the UAE more choice when selecting a portal on which to list their properties.

The business model offers the first agency-backed, full-scale property portal for property seekers across the UAE, for buying, renting and selling, and its conception was motivated by the lack of options and autonomy for agencies, a statement said.

Heading up the operation is Barry Judge, former CEO of Dubizzle and CEO of OLX Group MENA who said the project, developed in response to tough market conditions, has gained momentum quickly.

“It has been well-documented that it’s been a difficult year for the industry. We wanted to provide greater choice for agencies and as a result, deliver more leads and revenue opportunities,” he said, adding: “This turbulent period was a moment of realisation for many agencies and seeing them align with our vision to build a solution together has been overwhelming.”

The portal has support from a number of agencies in the UAE, such as Allsopp & Allsopp, Betterhomes, Driven Properties, D&B Properties and Espace, as well as leading segment-specific agencies, CORE Real Estate and CRC in commercial property, and LuxuryProperty.com in high-end residential units. Recently launched Linda’s Real Estate has also come on board.

Agencies signing up will gain access to free PropTech tools and competitive rates for software, that will drive cost and business optimisation for everyone.

“There is a high demand from agencies region-wide so we’re forecasting significant growth over the coming months and urge anyone interested in hearing more to get in touch now,” Judge said. “As a collective voice, we can negotiate the best rates for partners that they may not usually be able to on a standalone basis.”

He added that the consumer will also benefit from a mobile-first, seamless browsing experience and complete transparency of their data usage.

“There is a huge emphasis on defeating the scourge of fake listings. Visitors to Houza.com can expect all of the properties they view to be 100 percent genuine and available.

“We are passionate about delivering a transparent and enjoyable customer journey from start to finish.”

What the agencies say:

Lewis Allsopp, CEO of Allsopp & Allsopp:“In the ever-evolving world of technology, we are constantly refining our customer journey. With Houza, we believe we can add value for homeowners and buyers by giving them full live data from some of the biggest property companies in the UAE, for a clear picture of the dual market of activity – with no jargon.”

Betterhomes Group CEO Ryan Mahoney:“All of the content on portals originates from agencies so in order to offer a more comprehensive service to the consumer, there needs to be integration between agencies and portals. By bridging this gap, Houza can optimise the customer journey, bringing the latest listings and unique insights direct to home seekers and sellers.”

Abdullah Alajaji, founder of Driven Properties:“Driven Properties has always had the ambition to advance the level of service in the Dubai real estate market and we believe that competition is the best way to do just that. Opening up this competition, Houza addresses a fundamental flaw in the current market: the lack of flexibility and involvement from agencies in the main marketing channels they use to list properties.”

Andrew Cummings, co-founder and managing director of LuxuryProperty.com:“At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, hundreds of brokerages successfully rallied together to call for improvements in the industry. The subsequent arrival of houza seeks to build on that unprecedented collaboration, taking it forward by harnessing the agencies’ united strength to revolutionise the way we do things long term.”

D&B Properties CEO and founder Husni Al Bayari:“The impact of recent events has been felt by all of us but it has taught us that resilience and efficiency lie in turning obstacles into opportunity. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, just improve it so when it comes to property, who better than the industry experts – the best minds with a united objective – to improve the portal business?”

CRC director Ben Bargh:“The business of commercial real estate requires a different set of skills to handling residential deals; therefore, having a portal with an in-depth understanding of it is crucial in presenting our product effectively. We feel that houza gives us a channel from which to sustainably market to our local and international client base when it comes to selling, leasing or investing in commercial property.”

Linda’s Real Estate director Noa Wardman:“As a new agency to market, it is really exciting to have joined forces with some of the most established names in the industry. Linda’s represents professional women and working parents so it was an easy decision to choose houza from the beginning to spread the word of our unique proposition wider.”