Buying Property in Dubai: Airbnb Host Kristina Bazzy Shares Proven Strategies
Why Learn from Real Dubai Investors?
If you’re considering buying property in Dubai, one of the best ways to succeed is by learning from those who’ve already done it. Kristina Bazzy, an experienced Airbnb host and investor, owns multiple rental apartments in Dubai. Her story offers practical tips on navigating the Dubai property market, boosting rental yields, and building a sustainable Airbnb business.
Meet Kristina Bazzy – Dubai Property Investor & Airbnb Host
Kristina and her husband currently own 4 apartments in Dubai.
Kristina and her husband own four apartments in Dubai: three in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) and one in Al Furjan. The two-bedroom apartment brings in a net ROI of 8%, while the one-bedroom apartments averages a net ROI of 12%.
In addition to investing, Kristina runs Urban Uplifts, a company that renovates and furnishes apartments to help owners improve rental income.
“Renovating properties can significantly boost profits, especially in older prime locations,” Kristina says. “That’s why we offer affordable renovation and staging services to investors.”
We chatted with Kristina about how she got into buying property in Dubai and what steps she took to build her successful rental property portfolio.
Buying Property in Dubai and Running an Airbnb Business
1. What Inspired You to Start Property Investing in Dubai?
Kristina’s background as a senior financial analyst for real estate projects and her degree in entrepreneurship laid the foundation. Her father’s success in land investment also shaped her mindset.
“My father constantly bought land to either sell or develop, keeping minimal cash in the bank. He retired early because he had a high income from selling real estate, which inspired me to invest in rental property as well.
Instead of buying land or developing large projects, we focus on affordable apartments in prime locations, renovate and upgrade them, and use the rental yields generated to repay our loans.”
2. Have Your Investment Strategies Changed Over Time?
Initially, we bought a large two-bedroom apartment in a high-end building but later shifted to one-bedroom apartments because of the higher ROI and lower service charges.
3. What Criteria Do You Consider When Buying Property in Dubai?
- Location is key: Apartments near metro stations will get you premium prices, particularly those within walking distance to office buildings.
👉 For Top Areas to Buy Apartments Near Metro Stations
- Avoid overpaying for new luxury buildings; instead, buy reasonably priced average apartments and renovate.
- Analyze rental yields in Dubai before investing.
4. Is Airbnb More Profitable than Renting Long-Term?
It depends on market conditions.
“Short-term rentals used to offer higher returns for us,” Kristina explains.
“But with the oversupply of short-term rentals, the competition is driving the prices down and negatively impacting our ROI.
Long-term rental property now delivers nearly the same ROI due to high demand with less hassle.
Because of this, we decided to transition our apartments into long term rental property.”
5. How do You Evaluate an Airbnb Property’s Profitability?
Key factors include:
- Location (especially apartments near metro stations)
- Apartment size, layout, and furnishings
- Renovations, reviews, and special amenities that set the property apart
6. How do you Price Your Airbnb Properties & Maximize Occupancy?
It is important to list the property on various platforms rather than just relying on one.
Unfortunately, it was not enough to list our properties only on Airbnb.
Pricing involved constantly checking the market and pricing our flats at a slightly higher rate.
7. How do You Market your Dubai Short Term Rental Properties to Attract Guests?
I add a lot of thought and tasteful details to the apartments that guests appreciate and that the market lacks. This offers a competitive advantage that allow us to price our properties higher.
8. Do You Manage Your Own Airbnb, or Work with a Property Management Company?
When we had them as short term rentals, I managed them myself because I knew that no company would care about our properties or guest reviews more than me.
As an Airbnb host, I had only received 5* reviews because I always went the extra mile for my guests.
9. What are the Main Challenges of Running an Airbnb Business in Dubai?
- High competition for short-term rentals, especially in low season
- Can be very time consuming and needs a lot of attention to detail.
- Finding the right property management company can be difficult. They may drop rates to boost occupancy, not take proper care of the units, or have poor customer service.
Having said that, Airbnb business is a good option if the owners plan to live in their property part of the year or want to sell it, as having long-term tenants means owners will need to give them a one-year notice to move out, which may make selling the property more difficult.
10. What Advice would You Give to New Investors?
“I really believe buying property in Dubai is a solid investment, whether it’s a long-term rental or an Airbnb business. Always analyze ROI and market trends before buying. Of course, there will always be fluctuations in any market but in the long run, it will always appreciate and can generate a passive income, helping you achieve financial independence.”
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Key Takeaways: Should You Buy Property in Dubai?
- Dubai rental yields remain attractive compared to other global markets.
- Short-term rental is profitable if managed well, but long-term can be equally lucrative with less work.
- Apartments near metro stations and business hubs are in highest demand.
- Renovations and staging can significantly improve ROI.
