When Ben Bandari arrived in Dubai in the summer of 2002, the city was far from the global destination it is today. There were no record-breaking towers, no luxury marinas, no bustling DIFC. Just a rapidly growing vision, some unfinished roads, and a lot of desert.
At 25, Ben didn’t have a job title that carried weight, nor did he have a polished real estate background. What he did have, however, was a willingness to start from zero and the clarity to keep going even when everything around him said otherwise.
Today, he has closed over AED 25 billion in real estate deals, built one of the most respected brands in Dubai BenCo Real Estate and become an executive producer and cast member on Million Dollar Listing UAE. His journey isn’t one of overnight success. It’s the result of persistence, timing, risk-taking, and learning — especially during the hardest moments.
An Unlikely Beginning
Born and raised in Canada to Iranian parents, Ben’s early life was far removed from the world of Dubai real estate. Struggling with school, personal challenges, and disconnection from traditional career paths, he found himself drifting — until a family mentor offered him a chance.
“He told me to move to Dubai and work for him,” Ben recalls. At first, he declined. But after months of stagnation, he took the leap — one that would define the rest of his life.
Dubai in 2002 wasn’t a global hotspot yet. Most people outside the region had barely heard of it. But real estate was just beginning to open up to foreign investors through freehold ownership. It was, as Ben describes, a “blank canvas.”
Thrown into the deep end, his first job had no formal onboarding. “I landed, was handed a car key, and told to drive to Emaar’s sales centre,” he says. “I had no clue where it was. I just figured it out.”
That first week, he spent hours at the sales centre, trying to learn the projects, understand floorplans, and meet potential buyers — all while still figuring out how to navigate the city.
First Breakthrough
As with many stories in sales, his first big break came unexpectedly. A chance encounter with a family friend from Vancouver led to his first transaction — 12 units sold to one buyer. “He was buying for himself, his brother, and extended family,” Ben explains. “It was a lucky break — but it gave me the confidence I needed.”
Still, the commission wasn’t significant. “I was paid AED 1,000 per unit,” he laughs. “But it wasn’t about the money. It was the start of something.”
Back then, convincing someone to invest in Dubai real estate meant selling a vision. There were no completed towers in Marina or Downtown. Projects were sold off paper, and buyers needed real trust to commit.
Most of Ben’s early clients were Iranians — many of whom saw Dubai as a more open, liberal alternative to life back home. “For them, Dubai was accessible, modern, and familiar at the same time. They felt safe investing here.”
When the Market Turned — and Then Boomed
The real shift came around 2004–2005, when Emaar began delivering finished communities like the Meadows and the Greens. Buyers could finally walk through completed properties, and confidence in Dubai’s property market soared.
“Once people saw that the lakes, the golf courses, and villas actually existed — demand exploded,” Ben says. “It was no longer just brochures and promises.”
From 2005 to 2008, Dubai’s real estate market entered what many still consider its most aggressive boom cycle. Prices surged. Projects sold out overnight. Buyers from across the world started pouring into the city.
Ben was ready for it. By 2008, he was closing multi-billion-dirham volumes, leading a sales team, and even becoming a shareholder in a brokerage. He closed landmark deals like 15 floors in D1 Tower and over 30 units in the Palazzo Versace project.
The 2009 Crash — And the Lessons That Followed
When the global financial crisis hit in late 2008, Dubai’s market came to a standstill. Overnight, investor confidence evaporated. Projects were canceled or paused. Developers faced cash flow crises. And agents like Ben, who were riding the peak of the wave, were forced to reckon with the crash.
“I lost AED 40 million in a very short period,” he admits. “That wasn’t just money — it was years of work, time, and trust, gone.”
He scaled back operations. Many of his peers exited the industry. “I wasn’t consistent during that time. I shut down my company and stopped pushing. That was a mistake.”
It was a painful but powerful lesson. Real estate, he realised, wasn’t just about short-term deals — it was about long-term positioning, consistency, and staying grounded even when everything seemed perfect.
The Reinvention — Building for the Future
Ben took time to rebuild. He didn’t re-enter the market with flashy promises. Instead, he worked quietly, focused on existing relationships, did rentals, and built trust again.
By the time COVID-19 disrupted global markets in 2020, Ben saw another inflection point. “While others were downsizing, I saw it as the right time to launch again,” he says.
He founded BenCo Real Estate a boutique, high-performance brokerage built not just on volume but values: integrity, market knowledge, and client-first thinking.
Today, BenCo, is one of the most recognised firms for luxury and investment properties in Dubai.
Million Dollar Listing UAE — Turning an Idea Into Reality
Ben had long been a fan of Million Dollar Listing. But for years, he kept asking the same question: Why isn’t there one in the Middle East?
He spent three years chasing the format — contacting producers, media companies, and networks, often getting rejected or ignored. Eventually, a cold call to an Abu Dhabi government contact led to a breakthrough.
“I pitched the show in one sentence,” Ben recalls. “And he said, ‘I’m interested.’ That changed everything.”
Million Dollar Listing UAE was eventually greenlit by Image Nation Abu Dhabi, with Ben not only cast as a lead but also recognised as an executive producer — a rare achievement in franchise TV.
But even that came with its own test: “They told me, ‘You’re not guaranteed to be on the show. You have to audition like everyone else.’” And he did — along with nearly 3,000 other agents. After multiple rounds of cuts, Ben was selected.
Season 1 became a hit on Stars Play. Season 2 is already confirmed.
What Drives Him Now
Today, Ben spends his time managing client relationships, closing major transactions, mentoring agents, and growing his team at BenCo.
But he’s selective. “I look for people with integrity, ambition, and empathy,” he says. “Skills can be trained. Character cannot.”
He remains focused on delivering results, but in a way that builds long-term value — for clients, for Dubai, and for the industry itself.
A Career Built on Consistency, Not Just Momentum
Ben’s journey doesn’t follow the typical rags-to-riches storyline. There were highs, but also deep lows. He didn’t just ride the wave — he fell off, regrouped, and learned to swim stronger.
That’s what makes his story compelling. Not just that he succeeded, but that he stuck around when things went wrong — and returned wiser.
For young entrepreneurs, agents, and dreamers entering Dubai’s ever-evolving property market, Ben’s story is proof that tenacity outperforms talent, and that success, in real estate and in life, is often less about the deals you close — and more about the people you become in the process.
