We had to run fast to catch up with Eduarda Silveira, sales and leasing consultant for Better Homes.

When Eduarda Silveira arrived in Abu Dhabi a year and a half ago, she knew that she’d one day return to her career in real estate, but after ten years of working in the industry in her native Portugal and then in Australia, Eduarda was ready to spend some time focusing on her family.

“I like to work hard so I had to wait until my family was ready for me to go to work again. I did some painting, dance and studied a bit of Arabic language, but I was mainly available for my daughter.”

Once her daughter went to university, Eduarda was ready to dive back into her career. “The market is very busy here; I do much more renting than selling – it’s the nature of the business in Abu Dhabi.”

In the last year, Eduarda has seen plenty of change. “Landlords are adapting to the changing market by lowering their prices, and listening to real estate consultant’s advise. At the same time, tenants are becoming more selective in terms of the quality and price of property – two years ago it was very hard to find property in Abu Dhabi but now it’s not so hard in certain areas.”

Abu Dhabi Week had a hard time keeping up with Eduarda on a typical, busy day.

5.30am: Eduarda wakes up very early to walk her naughty yellow Labrador, Lucky. Whether she’s working from home or the office, she’s always very busy. “Properties get rented overnight, so I never know what my day will be like from one day to the next.”

7am: Today, Eduarda starts work in her home office, planning for the day; she needs to check emails, see if there are any new listings and touch base with her clients, who come from all over the world. “Culturally, Abu Dhabi is so different – I get to meet people from everywhere. I really like talking to people.”

8am: The majority of Eduarda’s job involves showing properties, and the best time is early. “I usually do client views first thing in the morning to avoid the heat. This morning I’m starting at Khalidiya Towers – it’s a good location because the view is nice, it’s close to the beach and it’s a convenient area in the city.”

11am: Finally arriving in her office at Better Homes, Eduarda meets with her colleagues and has a rare lunch on her own – she’s often out showing properties to clients on their midday breaks.

2pm: Despite the heat, there are more people looking for homes, so it’s back on the road. While places like Khalidiya and Al Nahyan Camp are very popular on the island, the really hot properties these days are further away from the city centre.

“At the moment, people are very interested in Al Reef Villas. The homes aren’t huge but they’re nice and easy to get to. The new roads to the main island are easy to access – you can get directly from Al Reef to Abu Dhabi Mall in 15 minutes. You can have five bedrooms, a nice back garden and a terrace plus private parking for a very reasonable price.”

6pm: Though she’s a career woman again, Eduarda hasn’t forgotten her family. “I enjoy cooking. I cook a lot over the weekend – I’m very organised so I can get things done quickly, like grilling in the oven or outside on the barbeque. My family likes my cooking but nothing I make takes a long time.”

7pm: Because she has to accommodate the schedules of her clients, Eduarda has to be ready to work all the time, including evenings and weekends. On this occasion, Eduarda has one more client meeting, this time at the popular Al Qurm compound near Khalifa Park.

8.30pm: Home for the evening, Eduarda is adjusting to life without her daughter. “My husband and I enjoy getting together with friends, visiting or having dinner, or we might plan a trip away for the weekend.”
Midnight: Eduarda checks her email one more time and then it’s off to bed. Because her clients keep such different hours, she often receives phone calls at all hours.

Final thoughts: “Dealing with people from so many different cultures is time consuming but rewarding. I have to give a lot – my daily routine is very demanding but I really enjoy it.”