How I Actually Price a Unit for Portals (A Tragedy in Percentages)

Every listing begins with optimism.
“This unit is different.”
“It has sea view.”
“It’s vacant.”
“There’s a balcony.”

Wonderful.
So does the competition.

Portals don’t fall in love.
They calculate.

When I price a unit, I don’t start with emotion.
I start with where the portal will place it or hide it.

Let’s talk numbers. No poetry. Just truth.

Assume the true market price of a similar unit is AED 1,400,000.

That’s the base.
Neutral condition. Average floor. No drama.

Now we adjust carefully based on facts, not feelings.

Adjustments (maximum, not cumulative fantasy):

• Vacant unit: +2% to +3%
→ Buyers move faster. That’s it. Not magic.

• Balcony: +1% to +2%
→ Usable space, not a penthouse identity.

• Real sea view (front-facing, not sideways poetry): +3% to +5%
→ Only if competing sea-view units exist and are priced rationally.

So a strong vacant sea-view unit with balcony may justify:
+5% to +7% total not 15%, not hope.

That means:
AED 1,470,000 – 1,500,000
Not AED 1,600,000 “to test.”

Because here’s what portals actually do:

• Days 0–7:
They test visibility.
Clicks matter. Saves matter. Silence is deadly.

• Days 8–14:
They judge you.
If buyers ignore it, the algorithm demotes it.

• After day 14:
You’re labeled.
Overpriced.
Reductions don’t reset the damage they confirm it.

This is why pricing 5–10% above market kills listings quietly.
And 10–15% above doesn’t even kill them.
It erases them.

A well-priced unit creates calls, comparisons, and negotiation power.
An overpriced one creates excuses.

Portals work perfectly.
They just don’t work for denial.

So no I don’t price to impress owners.
I price to appear, compete, and close.

This is how I will price listings in 2026.
Visibility first.
Data before emotion.
Strategy over ego.

Agree or disagree, what do you think?