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If your agent mentions 'gross yield', run as fast as you can.
Ras Al Khaimah is developing at an unusually rapid pace. Large-scale hospitality investment, new infrastructure, and rising international visibility are converging in a short time frame. Residential supply is expanding alongside tourism demand, and new buyers are entering the market earlier in its maturity curve than they would in more established locations. This is the definition of a fast-growing market — and it shapes how performance should be interpreted. After the initia
gilesdean
2 days ago2 min read


"10% Net Yield" - Really...? Why headline yields are the most misunderstood number in property
Ras Al Khaimah has moved quickly into the international property conversation. It is increasingly discussed as an emerging destination: new infrastructure, global hospitality brands, and a clear ambition to reposition itself on the world stage. As attention grows, the way opportunities are described tends to simplify. Yield becomes the shorthand. This is not unusual. In fast-moving markets, developers and agents lead with numbers that travel easily. Buyers, often navigating t
gilesdean
Jan 52 min read


Understanding Property Choices: A Guide for First-Time International Buyers
Navigating the Property Market Most first-time international buyers approach property decisions as though there is a single definition of “good.” They seek quality, reassurance, and something that feels superior to the alternatives. In an unfamiliar market, this instinct is understandable. Buying something that stands out seems like a safeguard against future regret. However, we must examine whether this instinct aligns with what the property is meant to achieve over time. Ev
gilesdean
Dec 19, 20253 min read


RISK: Why Ras Al Khaimah Feels Early and Why That’s Exactly the Point
One of the first reactions many people have when they begin to explore Ras Al Khaimah is that it feels early . Compared with long-established second-home or primary markets, RAK does not yet carry decades of inherited reputation. Prices are still forming, communities are still taking shape, and the market itself is clearly on an upward trajectory rather than a mature plateau. For the cautious amongst us, that sense of being early can trigger hesitation. But in property, “earl
gilesdean
Dec 14, 20253 min read


Want a Second Home That Works as Both a Holiday Base and a Long-Term Investment?
For many European families, the idea of a second home is changing. What once sat in a clear category — a lifestyle purchase on one side, a financial investment on the other — now occupies a more versatile space. Increasingly, modern professional families are seeking assets that deliver both: a place they can use meaningfully with their children, and a property that behaves like a rational, future-proof investment. This shift isn’t driven by indulgence. It’s driven by practica
gilesdean
Dec 10, 20253 min read


Friction: The Hidden Cost of Modern Cities and How the UAE Engineered It Out
Most people don’t use the word “friction,” but they recognise the feeling instantly. It’s the resistance inside a city’s systems — the slow-moving processes, the administrative steps that multiply, the healthcare appointments that drift, the infrastructure that strains, the sense that ordinary tasks demand disproportionate effort. Friction is the tax modern cities charge without ever formally declaring it. Across Europe and other mature economies, this tax has been rising qui
gilesdean
Dec 3, 20253 min read


Europe’s Debt Supercycle: The Quiet Force Reshaping Europe's Exodus
Europe’s public finances are now shaping daily life far more than politics or opinion — and the impact is felt in the slowing pace of improvement across almost every major system. Not through crisis or collapse, but through a gradual tightening of what governments can realistically deliver. When sovereign debt grows faster than productive capacity, the future becomes governed by constraints rather than ambition. This is the reality facing many European countries today: functi
gilesdean
Nov 24, 20254 min read


A Quiet but Significant Shift Across Europe: Exploring New Horizons
Across Europe, something subtle is happening. Families who never imagined living anywhere else are now quietly re-evaluating what “home” should mean over the next decade. This isn’t dramatic or reactionary. It’s reflective, deliberate, and increasingly common. The conversations sound similar whether they’re taking place in London, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Dublin, or Milan. Life still works; Europe remains one of the world’s most advanced and culturally rich regions. How
gilesdean
Nov 17, 20254 min read


Why Lifestyle Is the New Asset Class and Why There’s No Better Time to Look East
Across the UK and much of Europe, the conversation is changing. This winter’s UK budget is expected to tighten again — more taxation, fewer incentives, and even less room for aspiration. For many professionals and families, the direction feels one-way: upward costs, downward returns. At the same time, another conversation is gathering pace — one about lifestyle, freedom, and the intelligent reallocation of capital. The End of Passive Wealth For a decade, investors across the
gilesdean
Nov 11, 20252 min read


A New Chapter of Luxury for RAK - Janu Comes to Al Marjan Island
Ras Al Khaimah’s hospitality skyline is evolving again — and this time, it’s with one of the most admired names in global luxury. Aman Group has announced that Janu Al Marjan Island , its energetic sister brand to Aman, will debut in partnership with Wynn Resorts on Al Marjan Island. The move marks another decisive step in Ras Al Khaimah’s transformation into a world-class tourism and investment hub — and a clear signal that global luxury operators are taking notice. A Land
gilesdean
Nov 11, 20254 min read


Guide: Buying Off-Plan in RAK
Buying Off-Plan Property in Ras Al Khaimah A practical guide from Dean Property Why Ras Al Khaimah Ras Al Khaimah — or “RAK” as most locals call it — is one of the UAE’s most promising property markets. It offers something rare in today’s world: space, natural beauty and genuine value. For investors, it’s a chance to secure early exposure to an emerging destination. For families, it’s a slower, more livable alternative to Dubai — with beaches, mountains, and a growing communi
gilesdean
Nov 11, 20255 min read


Why Ras Al Khaimah Is the UAE’s Next Billion-Dollar Coastline
While global investors focus on Dubai’s skyscrapers and Abu Dhabi’s skyline, a quieter transformation is happening just an hour up the coast. Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) , long known for its natural landscapes and understated luxury is fast emerging as the UAE’s next billion-dollar property market. RAK is entering the same inflection point that Dubai reached nearly two decades ago: a confluence of infrastructure, policy, and lifestyle that will redefine its position on the global in
gilesdean
Nov 11, 20253 min read


What Took Me So Long? Why I Left the UK and Won't Be Going Back
The difference between the UAE and the UK can be captured in one word: vision . In the UK, government feels like a revolving door of short-term politics. Policy today, reversal tomorrow. Growth sacrificed to headlines. Here in the UAE, leadership feels entirely different. Vision is not debated — it’s implemented . From HH Sheikh Zayed’s founding dream to the D33 and Vision 2030 strategies, there’s a golden thread of continuity: long-term thinking, decisive execution, and me
gilesdean
Nov 11, 20253 min read
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