A Point of Growth
The real estate market in Dubai is a vibrant and dynamic organism with intense competition. How does one succeed in these conditions, all else being equal? The true value of a real estate business lies not only in square metres and luxurious interiors. The real value is in the human relationships and trust that connect the client and the company. The co-owners of Aynaline Real Estate, located in the heart of Dubai, Yana Kunaeva and Aisultan Sainov, believe that genuine care for each client is not just a part of their business strategy, but the foundation for achieving mutual success.
Yana Kunaeva: I've been working in real estate in Dubai for 4 years now, and I stumbled into it quite by chance. At the time, my ex-husband and I were moving to Dubai to organise events and somehow change our lives for the better. I had no plans to build a career in real estate; I just wanted to take a brief look at the market. We started our housing search with Elvira, the founder of the company where I worked for 3 years. In the process, she noticed potential in me and suggested I try my hand in this field. I decided to take the risk, although I had no experience — only a small background in Herbalife sales. They gave me a month to learn and try, and so, completely spontaneously, my journey in real estate began, which has now lasted 4 years. At first, I was simply interested; I was a positive observer. I didn't think I would become so engrossed that I would end up starting my own business. Now, looking back, I realise that Elvira saw potential in me and gave me a chance, for which I am very grateful to her, despite our paths diverging.
Aisultan Sainov: As an entrepreneur, I had long been thinking about investing in the Emirates, analysing for a long time where exactly to do so. I had plans to open a business in Dubai with my partner, but circumstances developed such that we decided to postpone this idea indefinitely. It so happened that on the same day, Yana called me and shared the story that her former partner had decided not to participate in this project. Yana and I have been friends since childhood; we have a very good, warm relationship. We spent our entire childhood together, and after school, our paths diverged, but we kept in touch. I went to Switzerland and received an education there in financial management, worked in the family business related to tourism and logistics, gaining experience. After some time, I moved to the Astana International Financial Centre, where I managed to work in several departments, studying the structure of their work. My goal at this stage was to gain the most diverse experience possible for my future entrepreneurship. In parallel, I invested in several promising startups, which yielded good results. At this point, I wanted to go beyond Kazakhstan, and I shared this thought with Yana.
Yana Kunaeva: Of course, any relocation is a challenge, a leap into the unknown, like the first time. That's how I felt when I started first grade, entered university, started my first job. Now, having started my own business, I am experiencing similar emotions. But life has turned out in such a way that, thanks to my business qualities, wide circle of acquaintances, and successful cooperation with my friend and mentor, blogger Beibit Alibekov, I have gained a loyal audience and recognition in Kazakhstan. He and I have been working together for 3 years now, and this partnership has allowed me to significantly expand my network of contacts. Now I am at a point where clients find me themselves, express interest in buying real estate, and seek advice. And this is perhaps the first big breakthrough for an entrepreneur. I remember, when I was just 12 years old, at my first consultation with an astrologer, I was predicted to have a job where people would constantly turn to me with requests. At the time, I associated this with journalism, as I was studying in the journalism department. But it turned out that my path led me to the field of real estate.
Aisultan Sainov: Now, analysing what gives me strength and motivation in Dubai, I can unequivocally say — my family, my children. This is such a powerful driving force that I made drastic changes in my life for their sake. Here I see a safe and healthy environment for them, good conditions for development. There is a sense of calm and security here, and for me as the head of the family, these are paramount factors. Of course, the move was not easy — large investments, a lot of new and unknown things. Starting a business in a new place is a serious challenge. Sometimes it's scary, but I always try to look my fears in the eye. Like Yana, I believe that the most difficult thing is to take the first step. But as soon as you do, incredible opportunities and prospects open up before you. Therefore, my advice to everyone who is thinking about moving: don't be afraid, take the plunge! Yes, there are different rules of the game here; much is unusual. But you only live once, and you need to try to move forward. In any case, it is a colossal experience that makes us stronger and wiser.
Yana Kunaeva: When Aisultan joined me as a business partner, it was also a completely new direction for him. But he quickly grasped the specifics of the market, and now we are developing our company, Aynaline Real Estate, together. I want to express my gratitude for the fact that he made the decision to join me very quickly and truly entered with full trust. In just 7 months, we have achieved impressive results: we reached the gold level with the largest developer Emaar, taking 54th place among all Aldar real estate sales agencies. For me, these are very important indicators, because the Abu Dhabi market has always been the focus of my interest. In the first half of the year alone, Aldar closed sales of 270 million dirhams to Kazakhstani clients, and almost 60 millions of those are Aynaline deals. The developer has duly appreciated our efforts, included us in its VIP programme, and is organising exclusive tours and events for us. Soon we will hold our first joint roadshow in Kazakhstan. I admit, not long ago I couldn't even think of such a scale. I dreamed of just a small boutique company with only 5 agents. But at this moment, I realise that this is only the beginning of something magical.
Aisultan Sainov: Our company stands out in the market by the fact that we treat our clients, partners, and employees with sincerity and kindness. Yana often repeats that you need to sell with love, treat buyers like family, never imposing anything. And I completely agree with her. Yes, there are many players in the market now who convey similar values. But true motives and intentions are always felt on a subtle level. That is why our clients come back to us again and recommend us to friends. It is important to build long-term, trusting relationships based on mutual respect and helping each other.
Yana Kunaeva: My mother played a huge role in my development as a person and entrepreneur. She is a very wise, deep person with strong intuition. Of course, sometimes I argue with her, but time usually shows her wisdom and insight. With my mother's help, I began to better understand myself and other people, learned to build relationships and select the right partners for business. Mum says that I should be surrounded by people with certain fate and destiny numbers, then my business will flourish. And indeed, my team now consists of those very people who bring stability and are responsible for scale. Perhaps this will seem strange to some, but I see how it works. I thank my beloved mummy for her support, time, and faith in me.
Aisultan Sainov: I fully support Yana in her pursuit of spiritual development and self-knowledge. After all, success in business is not only about numbers and deals. It is primarily about working with people, the ability to find common ground, to build connections. And for this, you first need to understand yourself, recognise your strengths and weaknesses, true motives and desires. Yana works a lot on herself, attends trainings and seminars, studies psychology and Eastern practices. And I see how this helps her not only in work but also in life in general. She is becoming more harmonious, self-confident, able to listen to her intuition. I think these are very important qualities for a modern entrepreneur who wants to not just make money, but to create something truly valuable and useful for people. After all, business is primarily about service, about solving someone's problems and tasks. And the better you understand yourself and others, the more effectively you can do this.
Yana Kunaeva: Reflecting on what inspires me the most now, I would note our Dubai networking of like-minded people — entrepreneurs, bloggers, just interesting people who have achieved something in life. For example, the founders of the Bakerist cafe chain, Nurlan and Aida Mukushev. Their success story is impressive — in a year, they grew from a small point in Dubai Hills to a chain of 6 establishments. For me, as a novice entrepreneur, it is very valuable to see such examples next to me. Of course, one can also be inspired by global figures like Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg. But when you see the success of your friends and acquaintances, it motivates in a special way. You realise that everything is real, as long as there is desire and perseverance. And another very important point for me is the support of loved ones. I am immensely grateful to my ex-husband for believing in me, agreeing to the move, although there were many doubts and difficulties. It is largely thanks to him that I was able to change my life. I also greatly appreciate the contribution of my first business partner, Magzhan Tleukhanov. Without his confidence in success and willingness to take risks with me, I probably would not have dared to open my own company.
Aisultan Sainov: Speaking of people who influenced my worldview, I would single out Robert Kiyosaki and his book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". I am very close to his ideology in terms of mindset, attitude towards money and investments. Kiyosaki teaches not to be afraid to take risks, not to limit yourself with frameworks, but to strive to think big, like rich people. He shows the fundamental difference in the approaches of the poor and the rich. And it's not about the amount of money, but about attitudes and beliefs. You can be a poor millionaire if you're afraid of losing your money and constantly saving on everything. Or you can be rich in soul, even if you don't yet have large capital, but already thinking in terms of investments, passive income, creating value. For me, these ideas were a real revelation and largely determined my further strategy. I realised that wealth begins in the head, and only then is realised in the material plane. Therefore, it is so important to constantly work on your thinking, absorb the experience of successful people and learn to look at the world from a different angle, to see opportunities where others see only obstacles.
Yana Kunaeva: The impetus for personal growth sometimes comes from the most unusual side. Once, my friend Assel Alieva conducted a meditation session with me. I closed my eyes, relaxed, and suddenly saw myself in a spacious, bright office with panoramic windows and a view of the Burj Khalifa. I was sitting at a large executive desk, and my team was around me. This vision shook me to the core. I thought it was some other parallel world or maybe one of my past lives where I was the head of a company. But Assel said something very important to me then: if the image is in your head, then it already exists on a subtle level, and then it's only a matter of time and realisation. And she turned out to be right! Now I really do have an office with a chic view of Dubai, and I run my own company. Of course, at the time it seemed like something unreal, unattainable to me. But subconsciously I always knew that I was capable of more. Therefore, I am very grateful to Assel for helping me look inside myself and discern the potential that I could not always see.
Aisultan Sainov: Our story with Yana proves once again that our thoughts and beliefs create reality. The way we perceive ourselves and the world around us directly affects our life and achievements. And the sooner we realise this, the easier it will be for us to move towards our goals. After all, essentially external circumstances are secondary; the main thing is what is in our head. You can be born in a poor family, have no connections and initial capital, but persistently go towards your dream and eventually achieve success. Or you can initially have all the advantages, but live a boring and colourless life, never realising your potential. It all depends on our inner attitude, willingness to learn, take risks, step out of our comfort zone. That is why I consider it important to constantly work on my personal growth, self-improvement, seek new sources of knowledge and inspiration.
Yana Kunaeva: In the end, the main thing in any business is a sincere belief in yourself, your strength and purpose. To not be afraid to dream, set high goals and take the first steps towards achieving them. Yes, the path of an entrepreneur is full of difficulties and challenges, uncertainties and risks. But it also gives an incomparable feeling of freedom, self-realisation and awareness that you are doing something truly important and necessary. For me, moving to Dubai and opening my own real estate agency became a real point of growth, a turning point when I believed in myself and stopped being afraid of change. Of course, I am grateful to all the people who were next to me on this path — relatives, friends, teachers, partners, mentors. But I want to express my greatest gratitude to myself for the courage to follow my dream, not give up, and become the best version of myself every day. After all, in the grand scheme of things, only we ourselves are responsible for our lives and for the mark we leave in this world. We need to listen to our hearts more often, believe in miracles, and continue working on ourselves.
