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Agent Irfan puts fun back into house-hunting

Irfan could write a guidebook on how to be a perfect broker.

On Saturday I spent a couple of hours with agent Irfan. My - "our" - house lease is expiring and he's the broker I am currently banking on to get me the best apartment that a limited sum of money can buy, no, lease. Irfan with the limitless patience and the unhurried gait, who deals in properties in south Dubai and used to run a video game parlour in Lahore, loves his three-month-old life in real estate.
Last week, in the lobby of one of the buildings, he greeted my husband with a hug, having not seen him since the previous weekend's househunt, and took to calling him bhai jaan. Anyway, this Saturday bhai jaan was out of town, so Irfan was showing me apartment after apartment, taking me back to houses we'd seen the previous week, but ones that I wanted to see again in a different light at a different time of day.
Without knowing it himself perhaps, Irfan could write a guidebook on how to be a perfect broker. He's not pushy. He doesn't act like he has better things to do than find you a place in your measly budget. He makes an effort to, as they say, go above and beyond his brief. He doesn't hard sell - single most annoying thing about brokers. And he doesn't seem to mind if all his effort comes to naught, or that was the impression I got. His philosophy was 'win some-lose some'. At one point, on the short commute from one building to the next, I asked him if he's happy with his career shift and new life. Aap khush ho? He said so guilelessly, mehin toh bahuut khush hoon! He's very happy! How often do you hear that? He said he liked meeting all sorts of people.
There was one building where we had to be at 3.30pm. The apartment there had multiple brokers. We were running behind time. The other broker was calling him repeatedly and saying valid cranky things about not appreciating being kept waiting. After the third time she called and hung up, he said he doesn't understand why people get so flustered being made to wait. I don't mind waiting, he told me. That it gives him time to reflect. And he imagines the other person is winding up a stressful situation and that it's best to be patient, wish them well, and eventually they'll turn up.
I thought it was an endearing mentality. That his unhurried gait must have to do with presumably zen 120/80 blood pressure. I said I don't like being kept waiting either and that punctuality is great, necessary and that maybe she's cranky because she has other things lined up. And even if not, it shows a lack of respect of the other person's time, this waffling in whenever, 3.50 instead of 3.30pm. He seemed to then see things in a new light. Like I said, guileless!
In the lobby of one building where he took me saying he guaranteed I would love the view (I did! But I didn't love the kitchen), we met a pair of fellow house hunters who having overheard our phrases - 2 bhk, 1 bhk, closed kitchen, sea view, chiller free - asked if Irfan had anything for them. Irfan said he wasn't sure, but told them to feel free to tag along. I didn't mind. So we got talking and they came along to view the rest of the apartments with us. It was most random. Random is good.
We ended up seeing half a dozen 3bhks - for them - and half a dozen 2bhks - for me/us. I couldn't get over the way events unfolded. The girl turned out to be an architect. Her understanding of space was useful for me. I told her so far I've only really liked this one building. But I need to go back and see the light. She said, oh yeah, which one? Turns out she lives there, said it was a great building. That endorsement placated some worries I had. All the while, Irfan was grinning. I have to now call him back.
­- nivriti@khaleejtimes.com