Head of Investment - Real Estate

Makeen Properties LLC is one of the UAE’s leading companies dedicated to the development of modern, sustainable real estate in the UAE. Makeen is highly committed to develop premium real estate and enriching the experience of living for residents by focusing on three core segments: real estate, services and hospitality. 

Makeen Properties LLC is driven by its vision to go beyond the customer’s expectations.

We have developed and managed many units for different sectors across the UAE, with over than 3000 units, including a leasing portfolio of residential homes, Industrial warehouses, commercial offices and holiday homes.

• Deal origination: Build and maintain a proprietary pipeline of investment opportunities across the UAE market, working through broker networks, developer relationships, family office channels, off-market introductions and direct seller engagement.
• Opportunity assessment and structuring: Lead the evaluation of inbound and originated opportunities, including commercial logic, capital structure, payment terms, partnership architecture, and risk allocation between equity, debt and partner contributions.
• Equity acquisitions and dispositions: Drive direct asset acquisitions and disposals across residential, commercial and industrial segments, including bid strategy, offer structuring, negotiation, and execution through to closing.
• Joint ventures and co-investment: Originate and structure JV opportunities with developers, landowners and capital partners, including term sheet negotiation, governance design, waterfall mechanics, and partner due diligence.
• Land and development opportunities: Identify and underwrite land acquisitions and development opportunities, including site assessment, feasibility analysis, payment structuring with master developers, and selection of development partners.
• Core income acquisitions: Source and execute stabilised income-producing acquisitions, including yield-on-cost analysis, lease covenant assessment, exit pricing, and integration into the standing portfolio.
• Underwriting and financial analysis: Lead asset-level underwriting on every transaction, including DCF, IRR, equity multiple, yield on cost, NOI bridges, debt sizing, DSCR, capex scenarios, lease-up assumptions, exit scenarios, and stress cases.
• Due diligence execution: Manage technical, legal, commercial, financial and tax due diligence streams, working with internal teams and external advisors through to deal close.
• Investment Committee submissions: Author and present institutional-grade investment memos, approval papers and Board materials that present recommendations clearly and withstand senior scrutiny.
• Negotiation and execution: Lead commercial negotiations on price, payment terms, conditions precedent, representations and warranties, and post-closing arrangements in coordination with legal counsel.
• Portfolio strategy contribution: Contribute to capital allocation strategy, portfolio construction and recycling decisions, including identification of disposal candidates and reinvestment priorities.
• Market intelligence: Maintain a structured evidence base on UAE sub-markets, including pricing, yields, absorption, supply pipeline, transaction comparables and regulatory developments.

Minimum : Bachelor's degree in Finance, Real Estate, Engineering, Economics or a related quantitative discipline.

Desired : Postgraduate qualification (CFA, MRICS, MBA or equivalent) is a plus but not a substitute for hands-on experience.

Experience : 

Minimum : 8–12 years of relevant real estate investment experience; UAE or GCC market experience strongly preferred. Established or rapidly developing network across brokers, developers, advisors and capital partners.

Desired : Real estate private equity, developer investment team, family office real estate or institutional asset manager with principal mandate. Experience across multiple product types (acquisitions, JVs, land/development, stabilised income) and within a family group or owner-operator context preferred.

Skills & Abilities : 

Minimum : Real estate financial modelling (DCF, IRR, equity multiple, JV waterfall, NOI bridges, DSCR, sensitivity analysis); Advanced Excel; executive-ready written communication and investment memo authoring.

Desired : Argus, MRI, Yardi or Power BI; debt structuring and lender engagement; familiarity with UAE title and regulatory frameworks (DLD, RERA, ADREC, Oqood, Ejari).