As the world prepared to usher in the new year, morale was high and people were optimistic about what was in store. Analysts and realtors worldwide were eagerly waiting for the opportunity to reap the benefits of the real estate industry, which started recovering following the downturn. Industry players were witnessing clear signs of greenshoot growth and recovery. In Dubai alone, transactions were rising with volumes up 41 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) in February 2020.