Twenty years of decisions made with my own money

I'm not going to open with awards. Here's what actually matters: for over two decades I've bought, sold, refurbished and remodelled property with my own capital, including a result strong enough to end up on national television. Every piece of advice I give has been stress-tested the only way that counts: with my own money on the line first.

Most advisors in Dubai have never carried the risk they're asking you to take. I have. That changes how you look at a payment plan, a developer's track record, a "limited release." When you've personally absorbed the cost of a bad decision, you develop a very particular allergy to them.

Why my odd CV is the point

My career looks like a zigzag until you see what it taught me. I started as a Creative Director in advertising, working across luxury, finance, cars and fashion. My whole job was persuasion. I spent years learning how to make people want things, the same techniques developers now point at buyers every day of the week. So when a launch event cranks up the urgency, I see straight through it. I used to write those scripts myself.

Then I built my own jewellery brand from scratch. Award-winning by the end, gloriously chaotic in the middle, the way all good businesses are. I built supply chains through India and China and sold into Japan, Europe and the UK. When you're a small brand a long way from home, trusting the wrong partner can finish you. So I learned to check everything, ask the awkward questions, and believe evidence over charm. Nobody called it due diligence back then. It was simply how I kept the lights on.

What I actually do

I advise on off-plan, ultra-luxury, and secondary pre-completion property in Dubai, from individual buyers to billion-dirham family office mandates. And for those who want exposure without buying a property at all, there's developer investment: from AED 10,000, anyone can invest in a boutique developer I know personally, with an incredible delivery record, targeting returns of 20% or more over 12 to 24 months. These figures are provided by the developer, based on their own historical project performance. I take no responsibility for actual returns, which can fluctuate with market conditions. I'm independent. I only earn when a deal completes, and I still decline a significant share of what I review. Every no costs me a fee. I'd rather lose the fee than your trust.

Originally from Sussex, now Dubai-based, working in association with haus & haus.