Real estate in Dubai at Estonian prices

Author: Igor King

Real estate agent Igor King, who has built a successful career in Tallinn, has set his sights on Dubai, where he sells both apartments and villas. He explains in detail the advantages and risks of investing in Dubai's real estate market.

Igor, you have built a successful career in Tallinn. Why did you decide to expand into Dubai?

I have not left Tallinn behind—my colleagues continue to handle rentals and sales, while I participate in transactions remotely.
But Dubai is a growing global market where everything has been planned to a level rarely seen in Europe.
I have always liked Spain, and we can still offer new developments in Benidorm and Marbella, but in my experience, Dubai is currently a much more promising investment destination.

It is said that Dubai's real estate market is highly competitive. How did you manage to establish yourself there?

The competition is indeed fierce. It is not random people who come to Dubai, but mostly strong agents who have already achieved good results in their home markets.
It is very difficult for beginners. Many invest time and money and leave empty-handed. Even experienced agents encounter the unique challenges of this international metropolis.

How did I succeed? I always did what few others do: created content, focused on numbers and their analysis, and paid attention to detail.
For example, about 1300 real estate agents are registered in Estonia, and only 1–2% of them have their own YouTube channel.

Here in Dubai, many agents sell beautiful pictures by sending them to clients via WhatsApp, but that is not enough for serious investors.

Why should investors consider Dubai if they are accustomed to Spain, especially Marbella?

I have spoken with many people in the Baltics and come to the conclusion:
Everyone knows Spain, while almost no one knows about the UAE, even if they have visited as tourists.

But from a global perspective, buyers from entirely different markets are purchasing property in Dubai:
The United Kingdom, Germany and Italy are at the forefront, while in 2023, Chinese buyers purchased entire floors and even whole buildings.

The Baltics will inevitably reach the same point.
The reasons are simple:

• prices are lower than for comparable properties in Europe

• infrastructure “density” is significantly higher

• security is at the highest level

• taxes are minimal or non-existent

• returns from rental and resale are significantly higher

The Spanish villages popular among Estonian citizens simply cannot compete with Dubai in terms of crime levels, pace of development, and opportunities.

What key advantages would you highlight for buyers of real estate in Dubai?

Low cost of living.

Those who have only seen the tourist side of Dubai are often surprised, but living in green areas is no more expensive than in Estonia.
Food delivery, groceries, and fuel are more affordable than many people think.

Residence visa.

Purchasing real estate from 182 000 € entitles you to a two-year residence permit.
From 500 000 € – a 10-year golden visa for the whole family and household staff.

A visa means being able to open a bank account, buy a car, enroll children in kindergartens and schools, take out local insurance, and so on.

Payment in cryptocurrency and cash.

For many investors, this is an important opportunity—with no additional costs or taxes.

Cash is brought from Estonia to Dubai and used to purchase an apartment.

It is even easier with cryptocurrency: we exchange it for local cash and take it to the developer.

No personal income tax.

Income from rental or resale – 0% tax.

Developer financing.

A 24% payment is enough to move in.
Sometimes the apartment is handed over after 60% of the instalments have been paid, and the tenant covers the remaining amount.

Finishing.

• rental: 7–15%

• resale: 20–70%

• premium projects: up to 100%

Transparency of transactions.

In Dubai, only a 4% government fee is payable.
For comparison: in Marbella, the purchase tax alone is 10%, in addition to taxes on rental income, sales and inheritance. And that is the best-case scenario. In the worst-case scenario, you will spend 2 years evicting squatters from the apartment.

Okupas are people in Spain who illegally move into someone else's apartment or house and live there without the owner's consent, and are very difficult to evict.

What are the actual prices?

Here is an example: I was looking for a one-room apartment in a new development in Tallinn for about 140 000 euros.
There was nothing decent.

In Dubai, in 2022, you could buy an apartment in a new development with a parking space, interior finishing, a gym and a swimming pool for 100 000 euros. Now, in 2025, the starting price of a similar studio apartment is approximately 160 000–170 000 euros.

How much can you earn by reselling a property during construction?

20–70% per year on invested funds.
Sometimes up to 100% in the premium or luxury segment.

Investors who buy several apartments at once (three or more) receive additional discounts and early access to the best layouts—the very ones that later rise sharply in price.

Do you need to fly to Dubai to buy real estate?

No.
All transactions with the developer can be completed entirely remotely:
signing the contract, payment, registration – everything is digital.

If the client wishes to visit in person, we arrange a transfer and a visit to the developer's office.

What do you think—is it comfortable to live in Dubai?

Language.

All processes are conducted in English.
Russian is an advantage in many areas.

There is no need to learn the local language, as is the case in Spain, for example.

Safety.

Dubai consistently ranks among the 10 safest cities in the world.
You can leave your phone on a table, and it will still be there. Tried and tested repeatedly. The entire city is covered by facial-recognition cameras connected to artificial intelligence, so fraudsters cannot disappear—the AI has their passport details, photos and often their home address as well.

Education.

International schools, five languages, the right environment.

Medicine.

Licensing, high standards and rigorous selection of specialists.

What disadvantages would you highlight?

Two main ones:

• summer heat

• sandstorms

There used to be little greenery, but now every district is being actively landscaped.
There are projects where at least 35% of the area must be green.

What misconceptions have you encountered most often?

That women are not allowed to walk alone. (They are.)

That Dubai is just concrete. (No, there are many green, low-rise areas.)

That life here is more expensive than in Europe. (It is not more expensive.)

That a foreigner cannot buy property with full ownership. (They can.)

That the economy is based on oil. (No more than 5%.)

What do you offer your clients?

A full range of services:

• visa / residence permit for 2 or 10 years

• option to buy with cryptocurrency

• interest-free instalment plan

• affordable apartments to live in

• townhouses and villas priced from 500 000 € to 25 000 000 €

• investments with annual returns of 7–15%

• plots of land

• resale with returns of 20–100% on invested funds

Igor King regularly publishes analytical materials and case studies on the Dubai real estate market on his Telegram channel.

They also offer a free 30-minute consultation online or offline: https://wa.me/971585961359

Igor King

real estate agent in Dubai

licence number: 81773