Luis Santos
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Real estate · Dubai

The short-term rental market,
from the operator's side.

I run more than 600 homes in the UAE and hold the highest review score of any Airbnb host in the Middle East. That operating vantage is also an investment thesis. Through First Class Investments, I help a small number of investors buy the right Dubai property, reposition it, and run it as a short-term rental that actually performs.

The case

Why Dubai, and why short-term.

Real demand, year round

Dubai draws tens of millions of visitors a year, with no dead season that empties the city. Short-term occupancy and nightly rates hold up where other markets go quiet.

The spread is in the operation

Most owners hand a property to a manager and accept an average result. The return sits in the details: the right unit, the right layout, and an operation run to a standard. That is the part I know.

Value you create, not just buy

The strongest returns come from repositioning. Reconfiguring a unit for higher capacity, furnishing it for the guest, and listing it properly. Capital appreciation and yield, not one or the other.

The model

Acquire, transform, operate, compound.

01
Strategy. We define your objectives, risk tolerance, and budget, and set a clear brief before looking at a single property.
02
Business case. We identify the units with the highest realistic return and put the numbers in front of you, not a pitch.
03
Sourcing. We use our network to find and negotiate the property, on and off market.
04
Transformation. We reconfigure, renovate, and furnish the unit to lift both guest appeal and capacity.
05
Management. First Class runs the property end to end, from pricing and listings to guests and maintenance.
06
Income. You hold an appreciating asset generating passive short-term rental income, run by the highest-rated host in the region.
Proof

One unit, worked properly.

A two-bedroom in JBR, one of Dubai's strongest short-term rental locations. Bought, reconfigured, and repositioned, then run on the platform.

€485k → €605k
Acquisition to valuation
12%
Return on investment
+10%
Capital appreciation
2 → 8
Guest capacity

The unit was chosen for its location and its large living area, which let us add a second bedroom without losing the sense of space. Renovated and furnished to a short-term rental standard, its capacity went from two guests to eight, and its income followed. More case studies, with full before-and-after detail, sit on the First Class Investments site.

For investors

Put Dubai property to work.

I take on a limited number of investors at a time, so the operation stays as good as the reviews say it is. If you are weighing Dubai short-term rental, start with a conversation.

First Class Investments →