Rens Hageman

GREM did not just come out of thin air. It grew out of my other company, Groove Digital, an online marketing agency specialized in web development and lead generation.

My first encounter with the Dubai real estate market came when one of my closest friends moved to Dubai a few years ago. Around the same time, his mother started a real estate agency, and he asked me to take a look at the website they were building. The project was difficult with their then web builder, and my advice was welcome.

What started as simple advice grew into a business partnership. That real estate agency became my first client in Dubai, and my interest in the real estate market there quickly grew. First from a marketing perspective, later also as an investor. In a short time, Groove Digital's client base grew to ten real estate companies in Dubai, including Novvi Properties, Elysian Real Estate, Tribeca Real Estate and Huaxia Real Estate. In addition, in recent years, I have spoken to more than 300 real estate companies that were interested in our services.

Nevertheless, we deliberately chose not to grow further, but to scale back to zero real estate clients in Dubai. And that had a reason.

By working intensively with real estate companies, agency owners and real estate agents, I got a deep insight into the dynamics between investors and the real estate sector. While there are exceptions, I noticed one pattern over and over again: the focus was on selling, not on guiding investors to a smart, safe, and profitable investment.

This has a clear cause. In Dubai, real estate agents (RERA certified brokers) work exclusively under an authorized real estate agency and mostly on commission without a basic salary. This means that no sales equals no income. As a result, many agents are driven by their own financial survival rather than their client's long-term success. The focus is often on closing a deal in the short term, without looking deeply into whether the forecasted ROI is realistic or whether the exit strategy remains viable in the long term.

When I realized this, I thought: this has to be different.

There are countless Dutch investors who are interested in Dubai, but are deterred by the chaotic and misleading market. Many agents mainly show the benefits, but often lack the real commitment to their client's long-term success. This leads to investors making bad decisions with financial and emotional consequences or dropping out altogether.

With GREM, we solve this problem. We ensure that investors receive truly independent advice so that they can make the right decisions with confidence and knowledge. No sales pitch, no hidden agendas—just the truth and the best long-term strategy for the investor.