Refine introduces first-of-its-kind DaaS concept

Refine, a pioneering real estate development and management company, is leading the charge when it comes to empowering investors and developers to enter the market with confidence. Founded on the game-changing, first-of-its-kind Development as a Service (Daas) concept, Refine offers investors the chance to harness generations of real-estate expertise and the power of Refine’s fully-fledged team and network, eliminating the need to build their own infrastructure.                                            

Spearheaded by Thomas Wan, a second-generation entrepreneur and Managing Partner at Refine, the company is redefining how investors and developers enter the market, and has already achieved a management portfolio in excess of AED 7 billion, since it was established in 2021. 

"Refine is committed to transforming the real estate landscape in Dubai by offering innovative solutions that go beyond traditional development practices," says founder Thomas Wan. "We create value in ways that have not been seen before, thanks to our unique Development as a Service (DaaS) methodology. Our mission is to deliver exceptional quality for our clients at every stage of their journey with us, and to enable investors and end users to enter the real estate market with confidence and peace of mind.”                   

 With an impeccable track record of managing and delivering over AED 10 billion worth of projects, Wan builds on the generational business acumen of a family business that has more than 30 years of real estate heritage across China and the UAE. 

Refine offers its clients either a monthly subscription or a ‘success fee only’ model, enabling them to choose based on their specific requirements. Clients can choose a ‘full journey’ approach, or hand-pick individual components of property development management, such as land acquisition, sales, marketing, or administration, representing true flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

“Our quality-first approach is reflected in our impressive customer loyalty and retention, with more than 75% of our business represented by repeat clients and referrals,” adds Wan.

Amongst the latest projects in the Refine portfolio include the recently launched Rixos Downtown Dubai Residences and St. Regis Financial Centre Road Dubai. 

SweetcHome completes first “home switch” in the UAE

SweetcHome, a personalised property matchmaking platform in the UAE, offers a simplified real estate search experience through AI matchmaking technology. Two customers, who were both still renting under their respective tenancy contracts, recently “matched” and switched homes through SweetcHome’s platform. It is the first time in the UAE that tenants who are unhappy with their current home or location are able to seamlessly switch homes with other tenants.

SweetcHome customer, Imen, signed up on the platform in April, hoping to be matched with a new home for herself and her pets. She was living in a high-rise apartment in JBR with her three pets and needed more space. Imen was looking for a villa with garden access, but the challenge was that her tenancy contract still had three months left before renewal.

In parallel with finding a villa match that could suit Imen’s requirements, the team at SweetcHome worked behind the scenes to find a new tenant for the apartment in JBR. Through SweetcHome’s services, Imen could quickly match with another tenant and move to a villa in The Springs even before her apartment contract ended. The new long-term tenant for the JBR property was matched after just two viewings, and the entire switch process for Imen and the new tenant took three weeks to complete.

Commenting on the experience, Imen said, “SweetcHome helped me achieve that goal of finding a new home within my contract and a new tenant who could take over my place. Finding a new place as well as a new tenant would have been very difficult to do on my own. The process was very smooth, and it was a win-win for everyone: For me, for the new tenant, and for my landlord who found a high-quality tenant and no longer had to worry about occupancy. As a bonus, I also saved money and reduced my commute time by 15 minutes.”

Soufien Haddad, Co-Founder of SweetcHome, said: “SweetcHome is all about helping people find the home they deserve. We encourage agents and landlords to sign up on our platform so we can help even more customers find their dream homes. We have a very interesting database of people who are willing to move and a very good database of properties.

SweetcHome matches both of them with the help of our proprietary matching algorithm and our real estate experts. We are bringing the idea of people exchanging homes to scale by leveraging AI. Our goal is to reduce commute times and enhance well-being through smarter and more sustainable solutions for the real estate ecosystem.

Executive Estate Management Services

The continued growth of Dubai’s luxury property sector is contributing to a significant increase in large estates, driving demand for a new kind of estate management and home management service.

According to Knight Frank, one hundred and five homes priced over US$10 million were sold in Dubai during the first three months of 2024, up 19% on the same period last year. The  sales of prime residences are fast outstripping those of other major cities like London and New York. Palm Jumeirah registered deals worth $628 million, dominating the luxury homes market.

Having served as a trusted operations advisor, working with exclusive international hospitality destinations and private residences for 25 years, entrepreneur Joanne Doran recognised a growing need among the UAE’s affluent homeowners. As a result, she founded

JGD Luxury Lifestyle Operations, the first company of its kind locally to assist HNWIs and UHNWIs with their executive estate management requirements. Founder of JGD Luxury Lifestyle Operations, Joanne Doran, explained: “Estate and household management services are well-established in countries like the US and the UK, offering clients comprehensive support to overcome the challenges of running a distinctive household. Traditionally, these services employ dedicated full-time staff. Whereas, here in the UAE, we are seeing a movement towards upscaling various needs without the heavy burden of maintaining a large team.

“With the trend gaining traction here, I created an executive estate management model, integrating the expertise of preferred partners and tailored to the special requirements of UAE clients. Our role is to anticipate any issues before problems arise and develop creative solutions so clients can live a life without compromise. It is ideal for those who do not require a full-time estate manager but still want professional help to enhance their lifestyle and protect their physical assets.”

The company’s services include efficient household and estate management, sourcing fine art or bespoke furnishings, recruiting, onboarding, and training household staff, and budget development and management. Joanne also provides customised consulting, covering everything from maintaining supercar collections and yachts to snagging a new home, private event planning, and curating tailored experiences.