Have you ever wondered why real estate commissions never seem to change? In the UAE, agent commissions are typically 2 percent of a property’s price and up to 5 percent of rental value. In many other countries, it’s the same story — commissions are generally fixed, without regard to the quality of the property, its size and value, or even the quality of service.

Is this a fair deal? Opinions may differ, but over the years many experts have often cited this practice as one of the enduring inefficiencies and limitations of the developer–agent–buyer chain. Traditionally, in this model, buyers make decisions largely based on what is presented to them by intermediaries, while developers rely on the same agents to gather market feedback. One party, the intermediary, acts as gatekeepers of the flow of information, and consequently holds more insights than both developers and buyers.

Analysts say this set-up has led to information frictions in the market, a term they use to describe information that is imperfect, costly, or asymmetric. It’s a system prone to distortions, delays, and inefficiencies that ultimately result in mispricing, misaligned offerings, slower feedback, and missed market insights.

But for years things have remained largely unchanged. Amid one of the real estate market’s most dynamic phases, we would be tempted to think otherwise — that the conditions for change have never been stronger. In Dubai, the property market reached a value of AED 761 billion in 2024, shattering records according to the Dubai Land Department. The entire city is buzzing with new projects, including a much-awaited third metro train line. But as they say, developers build quickly yet adapt slowly.

So while we’re seeing skylines transform at breathtaking speed, many business practices, e.g. how properties are marketed, sold, and priced, have largely remained the same. Pricing structures and commission models have been left untouched. Countless studies have exhaustively discussed why this is so, e.g. the real estate and construction industries being historically change-averse. The usual excuses: they’re asset-heavy, heavily regulated, and have a strong reliance on long-standing relationships and legacy processes.

But change is becoming a competitive necessity. While maintaining the status quo preserves certain best practices, the conventional developer–agent–buyer set-up has also entrenched inefficiencies that no longer serve today’s developers or buyers. Breaking the status quo means rethinking how knowledge moves through the property value chain. But who will take the first step?

Direct-to-owner model

Disintermediation, the process of removing middlemen between developers and buyers, is an alternative approach that overcomes many of these inefficiencies. From the outset, this model is seen to greatly benefit real estate consumers as it completely removes the need for agent commissions. But developers and many individual home sellers also stand to gain from engaging directly with homebuyers as it gives them complete control over the sales process and market data – two critical factors for maintaining a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving market.

This is not a totally new concept. Disintermediation was coined in the 1960s when consumers started to invest directly in securities such as stocks, bonds, hedge funds, and mutual funds, instead of depositing their money in banks. Technology was key to unlocking this shift, not just in finance but in other industries such as real estate.

In the age of the internet and artificial intelligence, disintermediation has taken on a far more practical and transformative role, particularly in real estate. The modern buyer’s journey increasingly begins, and many times ends, online, with AI influencing every stage. In fact, the UAE has now achieved 100% internet penetration, according to a report by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), effectively making online platforms a default starting point for most property seekers.

Meanwhile, there has been a big shift in the homebuyer profile towards a younger, more tech-savvy generation. The average age of homebuyers has significantly dropped from 53-54 in 2017 to 42-44 in 2025. Moreover, 36-45-year-olds now account for up to 40% of off-plan sales and 44% for ready and re-sale transactions. An even younger cohort, the 21-25 age group, is becoming increasingly active in the property market, buying 38.6% and 33.3% more off-plan and ready property, respectively, over the previous year.

This shows a clear shift in who is buying as well as in the potential of data-driven and algorithm-assisted decision-making as younger real estate consumers increasingly turn to online platforms to buy and gather insights. Yet, in the traditional developer–agent–buyer chain, that data, enriched with AI insights on buyer behavior and preferences, is filtered through layers of intermediation before reaching the developer.

Giving back control to those who create value

Direct-to-owner platforms are now changing that dynamic entirely. Instead of relying on agents to interpret the market, developers and sellers can engage directly with their customers, gaining complete visibility and control over their data and customer interactions. They see first-hand how buyers respond to pricing, visuals, and messaging, and can adjust their strategies accordingly in real time. In our experience at Gllit, a direct-to-owner property listing platform, the efficiencies gained from direct customer engagement are significant — giving developers and sellers critical customer insights that allow them to respond faster to trends and design more inclusive, market-aligned projects and strategies.

Disintermediation is ultimately about restoring balance in the flow of information and of the real estate transaction process. Developers gain agility and data ownership, while buyers benefit from transparency and fairer pricing. In the age of the internet and AI, platforms that allow direct engagement with buyers offer a practical and more efficient alternative to the conventional model that puts control, data, and insight back into the hands of those who create real value.

By Noeline Conradie, Co-Founder and Lead Interior Designer of SharpMinds Consulting Engineers

UAE has always been fertile ground for ambition. From monumental architectural feats to world-class urban environments, the story of this country is a story of ideas brought to life at extraordinary scale. Yet, in the world of interior design, ambition does not guarantee success. Without a clear direction, even the most imaginative concepts risk becoming hollow gestures, beautiful on paper, tenuous in practice.

This tension becomes unmistakably clear when looking at the broader context of the UAE’s built environment. The construction industry over here is in robust expansion where recent analyses forecast total construction output to grow from a record $107.2 billion in 2024 to around $130.8 billion by 2029, driven largely by mixed-use, residential, and commercial projects.  Concurrently, the interior design market itself is expanding from an estimated USD 378 million in 2024 to an anticipated USD 552 million by 2031 reflecting rising demand for high-quality design services.

These figures define a landscape that is vibrant and opportunity-rich. Yet they also reveal a deeper truth, when growth outpaces strategic planning, ambition becomes an echo, not a foundation.

The Illusion of Creativity Without Structure

Creativity does not thrive in chaos; it flourishes when guided by intention. In interior design, structure is not a limitation, it is the framework that allows ideas to be realised meaningfully and responsibly. In the UAE, where projects increasingly weave together smart technologies, sustainability imperatives, and cultural narratives, design ambition must be paired with disciplined execution.

The most successful interiors are those where creative vision is supported by clear parameters. When designers understand the operational, technical, and human context from the outset, creativity becomes sharper, more relevant, and ultimately more impactful. Structure enables design to move beyond surface-level expression and toward environments that truly serve their users.

Designed for Use as Much as Aesthetics

In a sector that champions innovation, interior design is expected to solve real-world challenges, enhancing wellbeing, accommodating hybrid work patterns, and responding to sustainability goals. Achieving this requires a purpose-led approach long before finishes are selected or layouts finalised.

Effective projects begin with asking the right questions: Who will use this space? How will they move through it? What behaviours should it encourage or support? By anchoring design decisions to these considerations early, interiors become intuitive rather than imposing, functional rather than performative.

Purposeful Design Over Performance for Appearance

Enduring environments are defined by coherence. When ambition is embedded into a project roadmap that accounts for user needs, technical constraints, regulatory requirements, and cultural context, design decisions become resilient. They withstand revisions, adapt to construction realities, and remain relevant long after handover.

In practice, this means establishing alignment early. Materials are selected for performance as much as appearance. Spatial layouts are tested against real workflows. Technology is integrated only when infrastructure and operations can support it. These choices reduce friction later in the project lifecycle and protect design integrity.

Shifting the conversation away from style alone is essential. Purposeful interiors are shaped by behaviour, experience, and emotion. When designers focus on how a space should feel and function from the moment someone enters, aesthetic decisions naturally follow with greater clarity and confidence.

Design That Resonates Beyond the Surface

The UAE’s design market is not only expanding, it is maturing. Clients and end users are increasingly sophisticated, seeking environments that balance beauty with resilience and innovation with ease of use. This evolution calls for interior design that is measured, thoughtful, and grounded in long-term value.

Across residential, workplace, and hospitality projects, the expectation is consistent: spaces must perform. They must respond to changing needs, age gracefully, and remain relevant in fast-evolving contexts. Design that prioritises longevity over spectacle delivers greater returns, commercially, operationally, and experientially.

This does not diminish ambition. On the contrary, ambition guided by intention becomes more powerful. When supported by a clear roadmap and strategic discipline, bold ideas translate into environments that people connect with intuitively and sustainably.

Great interior design is defined by impact, the quiet confidence of a space that works effortlessly, supports its users, and endures over time. Direction does not constrain creativity; it amplifies it.

Written by Phillipp Nagel, founder of Neatsmith

Scroll through TikTok for five minutes and you’ll likely encounter three different versions of the “perfect” home. One minute it’s dopamine décor: colour-drenched shelving and playful curves. Next, it’s quite luxurious: beige, brushed brass, linen everything. Then comes the Parisian apartment aesthetic, the hotel-core bedroom, the mob-wife revival, or the latest hyper-specific micro-trend with a name that didn’t exist a fortnight ago.

These trends are visually intoxicating. They’re also fleeting. And increasingly, they’re leaving homeowners with something far less aspirational: a wardrobe identity crisis. TikTok has compressed the lifecycle of trends beyond recognition. What once took years to trickle from runway to retail now peaks and expires in weeks. In fashion, this is well documented. But interiors, traditionally slower and more permanent, have been pulled into the same churn.

Unlike a jacket or a pair of shoes, furniture and fitted storage are not designed to be disposable. Yet consumers are being encouraged, subtly and constantly, to treat their homes as content rather than lived-in spaces. Rooms become backdrops. Wardrobes become props. The result? Homes filled with visual noise, impulse decisions, and pieces that feel outdated almost as soon as they are installed.

Many homeowners report a growing disconnect between what their spaces look like online and how they actually function day-to-day. The wardrobe, in particular, has become ground zero for this tension. It is expected to be minimalist one month, maximalist the next, open, closed, colour-coded, or deliberately chaotic depending on the algorithm. This is where the identity crisis begins.

Fast interiors prioritise instant visual impact over longevity. Flat-pack furniture, trend-led finishes, and one-size-fits-all storage promise speed and affordability, but often at the cost of coherence and durability. In the realm of wardrobes, this manifests in familiar frustrations: wasted vertical space, awkward layouts, poor lighting, materials that age badly, and designs that no longer align with the homeowner’s lifestyle six months later.

This is precisely the problem Neatsmith was built to solve. Rather than chasing trends, Neatsmith’s approach to bespoke wardrobes starts with the individual – how they live, dress and move through their home. Every design is made to measure, optimising space and function while avoiding the visual short-termism of fast interiors. With finishes ranging from smoked veneers to linen, and materials selected for longevity as much as aesthetics, Neatsmith wardrobes are designed to age well, not date quickly.

More importantly, these choices feel personal. When every space is chasing the same aesthetic, individuality gets lost. The home stops reflecting who you are and starts reflecting what’s currently trending. Neatsmith’s bespoke process reintroduces personality into the equation, creating wardrobes that feel intentional rather than algorithm-led. It’s why customers choose Neatsmith each year, and why 78% choose longevity and craftsmanship as key decision drivers.

In a digital culture obsessed with reinvention, there’s a quiet but growing desire for the opposite: permanence, clarity and intention. As a counter-movement to fast interiors, “forever furniture” is emerging as the ultimate design flex. This isn’t about nostalgia or resisting change. It’s about investing in pieces that are designed to evolve with you – furniture that is timeless rather than trend-led, adaptable rather than disposable.

In the context of bespoke wardrobes, forever furniture means considered craftsmanship, intelligent design, and materials chosen for how they age, not just how they photograph. Neatsmith wardrobes are built with this philosophy at their core. From internal configurations to decorative glass finishes and brass hardware options, every detail is designed to support real life over the long term. A truly bespoke wardrobe doesn’t shout for attention on social media. It earns its value quietly, every single day.

In an era of endless inspiration, bespoke design offers something rare: certainty. Rather than reacting to trends, a Neatsmith wardrobe is built around the individual – how they dress, live and use their space. It prioritises longevity over novelty and function over fleeting aesthetics. This doesn’t mean sacrificing beauty. On the contrary, the most enduring interiors are often the most restrained. Clean lines, thoughtful detailing, and high-quality materials create spaces that feel relevant regardless of what TikTok is championing that week.

There’s also an emotional dimension to this investment. A well-designed wardrobe brings a sense of calm and order, anchoring the home amidst cultural noise. It becomes a personal constant in a world of rapid change. Luxury is being redefined. It’s no longer about excess or constant renewal; it’s about intentionality. Today’s discerning homeowner isn’t asking, “What’s trending?” They’re asking, “What will still feel right in ten years?”

Sustainability, durability, and emotional longevity have become markers of status in their own right. Neatsmith’s commitment to sourcing, manufacturing, and long-term design thinking aligns seamlessly with this shift. Forever furniture resists the throwaway culture of fast interiors and instead celebrates craftsmanship, patience and individuality. In doing so, it offers a quiet rebellion against algorithm-led living.

TikTok will continue to shape taste – and that’s not inherently negative. Inspiration has never been more accessible. But inspiration becomes problematic when it overrides self-knowledge. The antidote to the wardrobe identity crisis isn’t rejecting trends altogether; it’s filtering them through a personal lens. Bespoke design empowers homeowners to do exactly that – to create spaces that feel authentic rather than performative.

In a world chasing the next aesthetic, choosing a Neatsmith wardrobe is a statement of confidence. It says: I know who I am, and my home reflects that. And perhaps that’s the most timeless trend of all.