Daifallah Al-Ma'tani
In a fast-paced real estate market, the decision to rent a property can be reduced to a purely financial equation: Rental value, contract term, and clear obligations.
But this reductionism, as common as it is, misses a key fact:
Real estate is not a neutral space, but an environment that creates behavior, reshapes taste, and shapes lifestyle.
What is opened today behind a storefront may become a familiar daily scene tomorrow, before the eyes of sons and daughters are formed, before they have the ability to ask questions or make distinctions.
Hence, the question quietly poses itself:
Is every profitable activity worthy of a site?
The quick buck... or the value that stays?
There is no doubt that some activities offer a quick return and appear to the owner to be a practical and uncomplicated option; an existing demand and a regular financial commitment.
But the experience, when read in depth, reveals another side to this choice.
Activities associated with with smokeShisha and its derivatives, closed sessions, and extended time:
- Eliminates families without announcement
- The venue's audience gradually changed
- and limits opportunities to attract more committed brands
- It is imprinted in the emerging consciousness as a normal mode of entertainment and sitting
The quick return becomes a deferred cost, paid later with the health of sons and daughters, the value of the property, its reputation, and its ability to develop.
When a landlord signs a lease, he's not just handing over keys, he's setting the tone for where the place will go for years to come.
Real estate... a role model who doesn't need a speech
What the children see is self-explanatory.
The repetitive sights, the odors present, and the pattern of seating are all silent but powerful messages.
When these messages are repeated in the same environment, they become part of the “normal,” not as a conscious choice, but as a reality imposed by habit.
This is not preaching or moral categorization, but a conscious reading of the impact of the environment when left without long-term thinking.
Public Health... Indicators that can't be ignored
The official health warnings accompanying tobacco products are not in vain, but are the result of long studies and experiments that confirm their negative impact on public health, especially among young people.
It is interesting to note, based on field observation in some health centers, that respiratory cases among adolescents are appearing at a remarkable rate, with some of them being provided with oxygen or medications to relieve respiratory symptoms, in images that were previously unfamiliar.
These indicators are difficult to separate from environments in which exposure to smoke and its derivatives is frequent and easily accessible to young people, and its impact begins to appear at an early age.
Here, the real estate decision is not far from these indicators, but is part of the broader landscape that creates the healthy environment of the neighborhood, either supporting it and enhancing its quality, or burdening it and multiplying its consequences for the community
Landlord Responsibility... and its role in the neighborhood and public health
The role of the property owner is no longer limited to just providing space.
Neighborhoods are built with small decisions, and every rental decision is a brick in that building.
Conscious real estate investment is not measured by rental value alone:
- Activity Type
- Getting along with the community
- Impact on daily mobility and overall health
- and its ability to maintain the value and sustainability of the site
The reality is that many sites that took the easy way out later found themselves trapped with limited options, having lost the trust of families and the allure of development.
A professional attitude...from experience
Working in the real estate market, taking a clear position is a professional responsibility.
From this point of view, I decided not to deal - for hire or brokerage - with any activity that involves smoking or shisha.
It is a professional conviction that real estate is a trust, and that the environment we contribute to shaping today will reflect tomorrow on the entire society, and on our sons and daughters.
A final word to real estate owners
It also optimizes the selection of a tenant who is able to pay.
Choose an activity that can be sustained without harm.
Not all income is earned.
Not every contract is a success.
Responsible investing wins the day.
and protects tomorrow.
Society does not pay for it in silence.
