DUBAI, UAE: UAE’s real estate industry remains a tangible and stable asset class worldwide with Smart Crowd- the MENA region’s first regulated crowdfunding an all-digital platform for real estate investments that offers diversification opportunities through crowdfunding.

It empowers individuals to invest in real estate starting from just AED500, earn monthly rental income, benefit from capital gains upon exit and leverage the power of compounding by reinvesting their earnings.

SmartCrowd is actually celebrating a record-breaking exit with a 75% total return, or 25% on an annual basis, for investors in a Dubai Marina studio.

This marks Smart Crowd’s 22^nd property exit, signifying their consistent track record. The unit, a studio in Studio One, Dubai Marina, was purchased by 56 investors in February 2021, one year into the COVID pandemic for AED 500,000 and sold in February 2024 for AED870,000 – resulting in a nearly 50% net capital appreciation.

Over the three-year period, the property generated significant rental income to its investors of AED149,966, or almost 27%, demonstrating the success of the investment strategy.

Developed by the renowned Select Group, the studio catered to holidaymakers, as the unit was in an appealing Marina location with great amenities nearby. Despite initial challenges such as a less desirable view, this carefully chosen property investment in Dubai Marina yielded phenomenal returns.

And Smart Crowd’s data-driven strategy focused on maximizing short-term income while anticipating long-term appreciation, proving successful with this remarkable outcome of a 75% total return on investment.

Delighted Smart Crowd Investor, Amr Hamada , says: “Investing with Smart Crowd is more than just buying real estate, it also entails investing in a network of experts committed to your success. You won’t need to make a sizable initial investment to take advantage of the benefits of passive income and capital appreciation.

“Thanks to their knowledge and assistance, I’ve been investing in numerous on the platform since 2019. You won’t regret looking them up if you’re thinking of making a real estate investment in Dubai.”

This latest exit showcases how a well-planned approach can lead to significant returns – even in challenging market conditions.

SmartCrowd, registered with the DIFC and regulated by the DFSA, is the MENA region’s pioneering real estate platform on a mission to democratise access to market-beating investment opportunities for every investor.

SmartCrowd, with its innovative real estate crowdfunding platform, is currently far outperforming the general real estate market in the UAE and internationally.

SmartCrowd has exited 22 properties so far with an average holding period of 33 months, returned AED 5.37million net total profits and an average ROI of 40%.

Newly appointed CEO at Smart Crowd Riz Ahmed, says: “With 22 successful exits completed, Smart Crowd’s track record really speaks for itself. I’ve believed in this innovative and disruptive business as a client, as an angel investor, as a board member, and now as CEO. This is a platform that will look after you and your money, without a doubt.”

Siddiq Farid, Smart Crowd co-founder, adds: “Giving that kind of return to our investors is a phenomenal feeling. This exit highlights the discipline of buying a quality asset in the right location for the right price. It also goes to show that you don’t necessarily need to have the best views to boost your return on investment, as long as you employ the right strategy.

“Overall, our success with this unit reaffirms our approach at Smart Crowd. Through discipline, deep research, foresight and strategic buying, we’ve been able to maximize our investors’ returns. This proves once again that the key to real estate investment in Dubai is through Smart Crowd.”

SmartCrowd has crowdfunded 120 properties on its platform worth over AED 139 million, distributed nearly AED 10 million in rental income, and enjoys a base of 100K+ users that continues to grow rapidly.

SmartCrowd co-founders Siddiq Farid, and Musfique Ahmed, along with the Board of Directors, recently appointed Riz Ahmed as CEO, who is currently heading day-to-day operations.

Ahmed, who is the former group CFO & COO of GEMS Education, founder of EqualEd, and an ex-PWC Chartered Accountant, brings a wealth of experience in financial management and strategic planning to the company.

Siddiq Farid’s pioneering efforts in shaping Smart Crowd’s business model have paved the way, with this transition enabling the co-founder to redirect his focus towards more strategic initiatives.