LLQ Lifestyle Magazine will be sharing the successs journies of Top CEO’s in th GCC as an inspiration to other aspiring upcoming C-Suite Upper Management. On recommendation of Dubai Life Coach Lee Levy, we speak with one of the Dubai’s Top CEO’s, Arash Jalilli who is part founder with his brother Amin Jalili in company called Unique Properties.
Currently, Unique Properties Dubai is ranked as one of the top ten Dubai real estate agencies with an extremely high reputation that echos intergity amongst industry peers, investors, staff and in general the entire Dubai wealth management and property market.
Coach Lee spoke with Arash as below:
What was the main reason that motivated you and your brother to start Unique Properties and what year was that?
We founded Unique Properties in 2008, right before the global financial crisis. What motivated us was a clear gap & opportunity in the Dubai real estate market for a transparent, trustworthy, and truly client-focused brokerage.
At that time, the market was booming, but many players were transactional. My brother Amin and I wanted to build a business centered on long-term relationships,
integrity, and expertise — where clients felt they had a partner, not just a broker.
Define what was your greatest challenge in the first 3 years of trading?
The first three years were extremely challenging because we were navigating through the aftermath of the 2008–2009 financial crisis. The Dubai market slowed dramatically, and many companies disappeared. Our greatest challenge was survival and trust- building — proving to clients and investors that we were stable, reliable, and in it for the long term.
At the same time, because we had already planned to be lean, resilient, and service- driven, the market situation actually worked in our favor. While others pulled back, we doubled down on market focus, and that allowed us to capture a large share of the market that was left open.
What would you say became your USP (Unique Selling Point) that had investors and staff gravitating towards Unique Properties?
Our USP has always been trust and market focus. Since day 1, we built Unique Properties on transparency, integrity, and deep market knowledge. While many brokerages were transactional, we focused on long-term relationships and guiding clients with clarity in a complex market. For investors, that meant confidence that we were protecting and growing their capital.
For our staff, it meant being part of a company where professional growth and a culture of excellence were non-negotiable. Over time, this combination of trust, service, and expertise became the magnet that drew people to Unique Properties.
And importantly, our track record since 2008 has proven our ability to consistently stay at the top, delivering strong performance with high client satisfaction year
after year.
You recently embarked on a journey with partners to create an AI platform for Dubai real estate, tell us more about this.
Yes, we launched AIR.prop, an AI-powered platform designed to raise the standard of Dubai’s real estate industry. The market had plenty of opportunity, but lacked data transparency and predictive intelligence.
With AIR.prop, investors now have real-time analytics, pricing forecasts, and portfolio insights. It also transforms the interaction between clients and brokerages by delivering more professional, accurate, and reliable data, making decision-making easier and more efficient for clients.
This isn’t just technology, it’s about building an ecosystem where trust, data, and opportunity meet, setting a new benchmark for how real estate is transacted in the region.
Q5) What’s the immediate 3-year plan going forth?
Over the next three years, our focus is on three core pillars:
1. AI & Technology
Expanding AIR.prop into the leading real estate intelligence platform in Dubai, bringing more transparency, predictive analytics, and efficiency into the market.
2. Fund Management Growth
Scaling Merrion Capital to attract both regional and international investors, creating structured real estate funds that give global investors access to Dubai’s market.
3. Global Expansion & Partnerships
Building stronger bridges between Dubai and global markets in Europe, Asia, and the US, while opening cross-border opportunities for investors and developers.
At the same time, we are committed to preserving our culture of trust, service, and excellence, which has been the foundation of Unique
Properties since day one.
Q6) What’s the immediate 3-year vision?
Our three-year vision is simple: leverage technology, grow our fund platform, and go global. With AI driving smarter real estate decisions, Merrion Capital expanding investor access, and Unique Properties bridging Dubai with international markets, we aim to cement our position as a trusted leader shaping the future of real estate.
Any advice to young upcoming start-up companies?
I advise young start-ups to first study the market deeply, understand what the appetite is, what is lacking, and where the real potential lies. Do your due diligence thoroughly, because too often founders jump into business models that are already crowded or not sustainable.
Once you’ve done the homework, you need to move very fast. Speed is everything in today’s market. Identify segments where tomorrow the competition will be heavy, and enter those spaces early, before they become saturated.
On top of that, focus on resilience, trust, and innovation. Build long-term relationships, adapt quickly to change, and surround yourself with a strong team.
And always
remember: dream big, but execute step by step.
