Buyers and brokers alike were more intent on sealing the deal and moving on to the next than in observing the social niceties.
But the change in fortune for Dubai's property market has brought on more time to reflect and to go about doing things the old-fashioned way. And what better way to do so than in an ambience that bespeaks an understated elegance?
One man who is convinced the no-office approach is the key to future success is Ali Tumbi, who is hoping that it may herald a change in the way we buy and sell homes.
Tumbi is the owner of PropahTea in Dubai Marina, a cafe that combines tea with property. So not only is Propah Tea a novel blend of tea and real estate, but the café is designed in the style of a one-bedroom apartment to add a certain homely feel to it, with areas are labelled as the ‘kitchen', the ‘lounge', the ‘bedroom', and the ‘washroom'.
As well as offering a menu of mainstream and rare teas alongside cakes, sandwiches and salads, PropahTea features a free property wall for agents, owners and buyers to advertise their property, a meeting place for agents, buyers and residential groups, a real estate brochure library, and in-house property advisors. While waiting for one of the many varieties of tea on the menu to brew — and watching the egg-timer provided to ensure the ideal brewing time — Tumbi explains: "We wanted to make it a lounge for real estate professionals, so we have created a space where clients and investors can do business. It is an ideal meeting place to relax over a cup of tea and discuss property.
"The property wall has become a talking point among agents, it's available to everyone. So if you're looking to buy property in the area you can come into the café and look at those listed on the wall.
"There's also a library here with brochures covering a five-year span looking at all the developments in Dubai, we've been collecting them all! So, if someone wants to research a specific floor plan for a development, we have that information on hand here."
As well as offering the health benefits of switching from coffee to tea — and the opportunity to enjoy their signature fresh iced tea — PropahTea is doing its bit to lift the spirits of an industry that is trying to find its feet again.
Tumbi, who has seen it all ever since launching Aqua Properties in Dubai in 2004, said: "Our aim is to take the stiffness and impersonal approach out of the dealings that many people experience when visiting an estate agent's office.
"The café is laid out to represent an apartment, and that helps to make you feel at home. So you walk into the lobby first, you can sit out on the terrace or in the lounge, there's a kitchen where you order, and a study where there will always be one or two realtors available at all times.
"So, if someone walks in looking for an apartment they can browse our property wall, which is ‘flushed' every week to offer up-to-the-minute listings, and they can speak to someone for advice at the same time as having a cup of tea.
"Our neighbours are all realtors, so buyers in the area tended to ‘hop' from one office to another. Alternatively, they can now walk in here and browse the wall without having to talk to anyone. It's a much more relaxed atmosphere than an office, and preferable to being approached by agents or having to walk from one office to the next."
While the main servings at PropahTea have proved popular — "there's a huge Western and Indian population here, and a significant percentage prefer tea to coffee" — so has the property element of the cafe. Real estate groups use the venue as a business lounge on a regular basis for meetings and networking.
And, while the property wall is encouraging independent landlords and buyers to ‘deal' on the property market, Tumbi does not foresee this leading to the agent getting axed as the middleman.
"Even in today's market, 80 per cent of the market is still looking for good service provided by an agent, and only 20 per cent wants to compromise on service to save their money," Tumbi reckons.
"A good agent will show you more than one apartment, will take the time to understand your needs, and people are still prepared to pay for that service."
Occupying a prime spot near the metro station in Dubai Marina, PropahTea opened its doors in December 2008 and has been slowly building a faithful group of regulars. More outlets are being fitted out at several Abu Dhabi malls, as well as Festival City, Mall of the Emirates and Almas Tower in Dubai.
Tumbi added: "We're here for the long term and this tea room has been building customers steadily through word of mouth alone. It's a hybrid and to my knowledge the connection between property and tea has never been done before, and I think it is particularly apt for Dubai, which has been built largely upon the property industry."
Tumbi points out that the café is in a prime location for property — Dubai Marina — but eventually they will expand into the malls in order to cater to a larger customer base. We're also looking to position ourselves in the community, with locations such as Jumeirah Lake Towers — areas that have a strong freehold base, tenants, landlords and agents," he adds.
As the property sector continues to adapt to the market, internet and online social media is becoming the preferred way to reach buyers, landlords and agents.
Expanding the concept
Moving beyond a cafe, Ali Tumbi hopes to expand his concept further with a website that will feature a regular calendar of realty meetings and act as an online community.
In the meantime, though, he is updating the café in Dubai Marina with new promotions. For instance, he offers a free beverage to anyone who posts an advert on the property wall.
Now, that sounds like a fair exchange and it's unlike most deals in the property world in that it won't even cost you a penny.
