What Byit’s $1.1M Raise Reveals About GCC Real Estate Leverage
Commission-heavy real estate markets in the GCC typically squeeze agents, cutting their share below 20%. Byit Capital, a UAE-based proptech startup, just raised $1.1 million to flip this model by offering freelance brokers up to 90% of developers’ commissions.
This fresh capital from A15, Beltone Holding, and angel investors will fuel Byit's regional push across Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf market after initial growth in Egypt and the UAE. But this is more than expansion—it is a structural recalibration of real estate leverage.
The key lies in Byit’s agent-first platform that aggregates 40,000 freelance brokers with access to over 1,000 verified projects from 450+ developers. This scale creates a pull-based network effect that circumvents traditional brokerage gatekeeping.
“Transparency and accountability unlock real value faster than entrenched middlemen,” says Byit CEO Antoine Azer.
Contrary to Cut-Rate Commission Wisdom
Brokerage markets are usually viewed as zero-sum commission battles that favor incumbents. Conventional thought says cutting commissions below market rates is unsustainable or risks talent loss.
This framing misses the real constraint: the arbitration role of the brokerage firm, which inflates costs while fragmenting inventory. Byit’s platform shifts this by digitizing trust and inventory access, enabling brokers to operate almost frictionlessly. It’s less cost-cutting, more removing intermediation constraints to marginally improve agent economics while massively broadening network scale.
Agent-First System Creates a Self-Reinforcing Flywheel
Byit doesn’t just compete on commission splits; it redesigns brokerage operations through a data-driven marketplace with verified projects and direct developer relationships. Offering brokers up to 90% commission drops agent acquisition costs and aligns incentives.
This contrasts with rivals whose agent incentives average below 30%, making retention costly. Byit’s network effects intensify as brokers benefit directly, attracting more developers and projects. This builds a platform that can scale across the GCC with minimal incremental human intervention, a true leverage play.
Regional Expansion Anchored in Market Fragmentation
Saudi Arabia’s $15 billion real estate market is notorious for opaque brokerage practices. Byit’s transparent, agent-first model fits perfectly into this white space. Leveraging its UAE foothold, Byit bypasses entrenched brokerage incumbents that hold fragmented inventories and command inflexible commission frameworks.
Unlike traditional models that rely heavily on fixed offices and contracts, Byit’s remote freelance brokers supported by a digital infrastructure reduce fixed costs and increase operational agility. This approach mirrors shifts in other industries where platform models outcompete legacy firms, as detailed in dynamic work chart evolutions.
One Shift Changes Leverage for GCC Brokerage
Byit’s success reveals that the true lever in GCC real estate isn’t just commission percentages or marketing budgets—it’s the wiring of brokerage systems around network scale and agent empowerment. The constraint wasn’t agent availability, but their access to verified inventory and fair pay.
This unlocks strategic moves: expanding rapidly with a distributed agent network and onboarding massive developer inventory without traditional gatekeepers. Other MENA markets with similar fragmentation—like Kuwait or Bahrain—stand to replicate this model easily.
“Real estate brokerage leverage is less about controlling offices, more about powering agents as owners of demand,” Azer’s model shows. The agent-first system enables leverage that compounds through scalable human networks and data—a quiet revolution in GCC markets.
Related Tools & Resources
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Byit Capital's recent funding achievement?
Byit Capital, a UAE-based proptech startup, recently raised $1.1 million from investors including A15 and Beltone Holding to expand its agent-first real estate platform in the GCC region.
How does Byit Capital change traditional real estate commissions in the GCC?
Byit offers freelance brokers up to 90% of developers’ commissions, significantly higher than the typical below 20% cut in commission-heavy GCC markets, empowering agents and improving economics.
What is unique about Byit’s brokerage model compared to incumbents?
Byit’s platform aggregates over 40,000 freelance brokers and provides access to 1,000+ verified projects from more than 450 developers, digitizing trust and reducing middlemen costs to drive network effects and scalability.
Which markets is Byit targeting with its regional expansion?
Byit is pushing into Saudi Arabia’s $15 billion real estate market and broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets after growing in Egypt and the UAE, leveraging a structural gap in brokerage transparency and agent leverage.
Why is Byit’s agent-first platform considered a leverage revolution in GCC?
Byit shifts leverage from office control to empowering agents with verified inventory and fair pay, creating a scalable network effect while lowering agent acquisition costs through commission splits of up to 90%.
How does Byit’s approach affect developer and broker relationships?
Byit's direct developer relationships and transparent data-driven marketplace increase broker retention and attract more projects, contrasting rivals' average agent incentives below 30%, ensuring broader network participation.
How does Byit reduce fixed costs compared to traditional real estate models?
Byit supports remote freelance brokers via a digital infrastructure, bypassing costly fixed offices and contracts, thus increasing operational agility and reducing overhead in fragmented GCC brokerage markets.
Can Byit’s model be replicated in other MENA countries?
Yes, markets like Kuwait and Bahrain with similar fragmented real estate markets stand to benefit from Byit’s agent-first platform that removes intermediation and improves broker economics.