Short answer: established portals such as Bayut and Property Finder are built for buyers who already know what they want and are searching for it. Video-first apps reach buyers earlier, while they are still browsing. They do different jobs, so most brokers will learn more by testing both on their own listings than by switching from one to the other. Judge each channel by its cost per closed deal, not by its number of leads.
This guide is written by the Gmore team, a video-first property app. It explains what each kind of platform is good at and how to check the numbers yourself. It does not quote any portal's traffic, prices or lead costs: ask each platform for its current rates, and judge by your own results.
What portals are good at
- Search. A buyer who searches for a two-bedroom flat in a set community and budget is close to acting, and portals are built for that search.
- Reach. The large portals are where many buyers and tenants start looking, so a listing there is seen by people who are actively searching.
- A familiar format. Photos, floor plans, filters and a call button, which buyers already know how to use.
Where brokers find portals harder
- Competition on the same unit. When several brokers list the same property, buyers compare brokers on price and on how fast they reply.
- Static listings. Photos and floor plans show rooms, but not how a home feels or what the community is like.
- What happens after the enquiry. Viewings, offers and follow-ups usually move to phone calls and WhatsApp, outside the portal.
What video-first apps add
Video-first apps show listings as short videos, the way social media shows posts, so buyers come across properties while browsing and not only when they search. That suits off-plan launches, lifestyle communities and international buyers who want to see a place properly before they fly in.
On Gmore, for example:
- Listings are videos. Buyers swipe through full-screen property videos, and can message the broker, ask for a viewing or make an offer from the video.
- Creating a listing is guided. The app takes you through the location, the details and the video upload, and its AI drafts the description from the video for you to check before you publish.
- Viewings are tracked. When a buyer asks for a visit, the broker can accept it and share their live location on the way, and the buyer leaves feedback afterwards.
- Offers are in writing. A buyer's offer includes the price, how they will pay and their timeline, and the broker sees every offer for a listing in one place.
- Broker profiles show verified credentials, reviews and the areas a broker covers.
A fair way to compare
- Work out the cost per closed deal for each channel over the last 90 days: what you spent on it, divided by the deals that came from it. Leads alone mislead.
- Run both for the same listings for 8 to 12 weeks, with a video for each listing, and record where every enquiry, viewing and deal came from.
- Move your budget to what closes deals. Keep the channel that brings deals at the lowest cost per deal, whichever it is.
Rules to check before you advertise
Property advertising in Dubai is regulated. Before you post a listing on any platform, check the current advertising rules of the Dubai Land Department and RERA, including the permit and broker registration details an advert must show.
Your plan for this week
- Work out your cost per closed deal for each portal you pay for.
- Film a one-minute walkthrough of your three best listings.
- Post them on a video-first app as well as on your portals, and track enquiries, viewings and deals from each for the next eight weeks.
