While many investors expected Dubai’s property market to slow following the recent Middle East escalation, Agora Advisory founder Alex Gorasov says his experience on the ground has been surprisingly different.
According to Gorasov, the weeks following the escalation saw a noticeable increase in property sourcing activity, particularly within Dubai’s ready property market, despite widespread expectations that buyers would become increasingly cautious.
“To be completely honest, I expected silence,” said Gorasov. “I thought we would see investors pause, sellers become defensive and transaction activity slow considerably. Instead, what we observed was a growing number of sourcing opportunities and an increase in requests from sophisticated investors looking for market intelligence and distressed opportunities.”
Gorasov is the founder of Agora Advisory, a Dubai-based real estate investment advisory firm built on the principle that investors deserve honest, expert guidance with no hidden agendas. Founded by a property investor and entrepreneur with a portfolio spanning Moldova, Bali, Georgia and the UAE, the firm provides bespoke advisory, educational programs, property sourcing and strategic market guidance for investors entering or expanding within the UAE market.
According to the firm, investor behaviour has become increasingly divided since the escalation.
While many smaller investors have adopted a wait-and-see approach, delaying acquisitions until there is greater geopolitical clarity, larger investors appear to be taking a different approach.
“We’ve seen many retail investors move to the sidelines,” Gorasov explained. “However, many high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth investors are doing the exact opposite. They are requesting private sourcing mandates, monitoring specific buildings and communities, and asking for detailed intelligence reports so they can be prepared to act when opportunities emerge.”
According to Agora Advisory, the firm’s recent mandates have focused heavily on Dubai’s ready property market rather than off-plan developments.
Gorasov believes this trend reflects a growing desire among experienced investors to focus on tangible cash-flowing assets during periods of uncertainty.
“Ready properties allow investors to analyse real rental performance, existing market conditions and immediate cash flow,” he said. “When uncertainty increases, many sophisticated investors prefer facts over projections.”
The firm reports that discounts have become increasingly common across certain segments of the market.
“On average, we are currently sourcing opportunities approximately 7% to 10% below active market pricing,” said Gorasov. “In stronger situations, particularly where sellers are motivated or specific circumstances exist, the discounts can be significantly larger. Our strongest sourced transaction this year was secured at approximately 26% below prevailing market listing prices.”
A key differentiator for Agora Advisory is its fee structure.
Unlike many market participants who operate on commissions tied to transactions or specific properties, the company operates on a fixed-fee advisory and sourcing model.
“Our interests are aligned with the client,” said Gorasov. “We don’t benefit from selling a particular property”. Our role is to help investors identify opportunities, negotiate effectively and make informed decisions based on data and long-term investment objectives.”
The comments come shortly after the launch of Agora Advisory’s new website, which consolidates the firm’s advisory services, learning programs, property sourcing solutions and market resources into a single platform.
“The website launch represents an important milestone for us,” Gorasov added. “For years, our focus was on helping investors through educational content, consultations and direct advisory work. The new platform simply brings everything together under one roof.”
As geopolitical headlines continue to dominate global markets, Gorasov believes the current environment serves as a reminder that uncertainty often creates opportunity.
“The market is behaving very differently than many expected,” he said. “While some investors are waiting, others are actively preparing. Historically, some of the best opportunities appear when sentiment becomes cautious, and we’re seeing signs of that again today.”
Website: https://agoraadvisory.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlexGorasov
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexgorasov
