In focus: LuxuryProperty.com

Q: Tell us a bit about Luxury Property and the services that you offer which set you apart from your competitors?

Jason Hayes: LuxuryProperty.com is a luxury brokerage but, more than that, it is a digital destination. We connect international HNWI and UHNWI buyers to the world’s finest homes, focusing on 25 key markets and offering over $30 billion worth of real estate in our portfolio.

Our strength lies in our digital presence – through a combination of digital marketing, social media push and online press coverage, we have made our brand name synonymous with the concept of luxury real estate, and have positioned ourselves as the luxury brokerage of choice for both buyers and sellers of high-end homes.

Q: In your opinion, what are some of the changing trends in the real estate industry?

Jason Hayes: Speaking for the Dubai market, where our company is headquartered, we are seeing a slow shift in the buyer profile. Property investors have always been a big part of the city’s real estate sector, but over the years we have seen a larger number of families entering the market as they look to make Dubai their primary residence.

We are also seeing a greater move towards private residential communities that are located in what could be considered the ‘suburbs’, but offer a lifestyle that keeps you connected to the heart of the city.

From a brokerage perspective, digital is very much the way forward. One of the key lessons we learned during the pandemic is that you can maintain a relationship with international clients even if they are unable to travel in the short-term, as long as you have a strong digital presence in the form of social media, high-quality photography, video tours, and written content that you can share with them.

Q: Can you highlight some of the facilities and features being offered by your company that enhance customer experience.

Jason Hayes: We offer a full 360-degree experience for potential buyers that isn’t just focused on property. As mentioned above, we have a lot of industry-relevant media that we share with clients. Additionally, we provide them with a snapshot of the lifestyle in Dubai (or in their chosen city), in the form of blog posts – community guides, roundups of best restaurants, guides to the best schools, etc. We also have our dedicated lifestyle brand The Luxury Podcast, which focuses on various topics that our clients would find of interest.

Q: In terms of service, what is your philosophy to ensure customer happiness?

Jason Hayes: I believe that it is very important to listen to your clients. You need to understand exactly what it is they need and, crucially, you need to understand what it is they aren’t telling you. For example, if a client is enquiring on a single-family home (villa or townhouse) and mentions that they have seniors (parent, in-laws) living with them, it is very likely that they are looking for a home that has a ground-floor bedroom. If they have young children, they probably want to live in a neighborhood that has its own school, or is very close to one.

By anticipating the needs of your client, you can provide a more personalized level of service and will thus make an unforgettable impression on them.

Q: What customer feedback mechanisms do you have in place and how do you deal with negative feedback from your customers?

Jason Hayes: We often receive direct feedback from our clients on a one-to-one basis in the form of a phone call, message or email. For indirect feedback, there is Google Reviews and our social media pages. We take the reputation of the brand and the company very seriously, and senior management always takes the lead on any situation involving negative client feedback so we can reach a proper resolution.

Q: Do you offer online customer support on your digital platforms and is this support 24/7?

Jason Hayes: We have a customer service phone system and online forms across all of our digital platforms. This is technically 24/7, though we are looking to grow that side of the business, so it becomes even more seamless.

Q: In terms of technology, what innovations are you incorporating to make the customer experience better?

Jason Hayes: We are implementing state-of-the-art UX /UI to make our website, mobile site and apps lighter and faster to use. We want to enhance the experience for the client by improving our digital delivery – simple things such as integrating a calendar so clients can schedule a viewing directly with the listing agent, or a robust WhatsApp functionality to allow for direct communication with the listing agent are small ideas that make a big difference to the customer journey.

Our e-commerce platform, which is being developed alongside our partners to provide for rental payments by e-commerce, is going to be a very attractive innovation in the luxury home rental space in Dubai.

Q: In light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, what are some of the changes and challenges that you feel your industry is facing?

Jason Hayes: Perhaps the biggest issue we faced at the start was in-person interactions with clients – at the end of the day, a buyer would want to see their new home in person before they close the deal. For those who were facing travel restrictions in their home countries, this meant a deal could end up being prolonged by a few weeks, and this is where my previous point about continued client engagement really becomes important.

As we have all adjusted to the ‘new normal’, we have protocols in place both inside and outside the office to ensure that every member of our team is staying safe and conducting business in a responsible manner.

Q: How do you plan on making customer experience better in the future?

Jason Hayes: We have an in-house tech team of 30 people working on developing new technologies that will enhance customer experience.

New laws in Dubai make digital signatures legally valid, so we will be working towards implementing digital signatures – convenient for our local clients and in some cases, essential for our international ones.

At LuxuryProperty.com we aim to provide the most seamless customer experience, from the moment you connect with us to the completion of a successful transaction. Digitalisation is the key to achieving that.

About Jason Hayes

Jason Hayes has over two decades of real estate experience, starting in the UK and expanding to include business interests across Europe, the United States and Latin America. He is extensively experienced in all aspects of property investment management, development, portfolio establishment, development management and business development into new markets.

On moving to Dubai, Jason found an incredible opportunity to create a luxury brand that would be headquartered at the centre of the globe. By building a broad digital footprint, he could instantly reach HNWI and UHNWI clientele from across the world, and by building a strong team he could provide an unforgettable customer experience. With LuxuryProperty.com, Jason has created a digital destination for buyers and tenants with discerning tastes so that they can discover the world’s finest homes at the click of a button.