Buying a sustainable, environmentally-friendly property is becoming more important than its location, the survey major Gulf developer Nakheel has found.
The top priorities were environmental friendliness, reputation, reliability, affordability and innovation, the survey established.
Half of those questioned for the survey said that the environmental friendliness of a project was the most defining element. Reliability was second with 47% giving it as an influencing factor. Innovation and healthy living came joint fourth with 43%.
'In the past, quality has been one of the most important factors for potential customers. This is the first time we've seen environmental concerns come through this strongly,' said Matt Joyce, managing director of Waterfront Nakheel.
The survey was carried out following an advertising campaign to promote the launch of Badrah, a district in Nakheel's waterfront development and its findings will be taken into account by the developer.
'We are currently working to align our products and services even more closely with this growing demand. Waterfront has been designed, like all of Nakheel's projects, with sustainability at its heart,' added Joyce.
The district of Badrah has an emphasis on green open spaces and is being built as a self-sustainable community with a strong focus on reducing the consumption of energy and water. 'We see it as a city of the future and are delighted that there is a real demand for this type of development from end-users,' explained Joyce.
The developer has also revealed that it has sold 70% of The World, the dramatic collection of 300 islands off the coast of Dubai.
