Other Women's Jobs // A Day In The Life & Career Of Tamara Cortan

NAME: Tamara Cortan

AGE: 30

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @tamara.agent

JOB TITLE: Property Consultant

MOVED TO THE UAE IN: 2021

Tamara first moved to the UAE in 2020 - full of excitement and ready for a fresh new start - only to be sent back home three months later, amidst a COVID-19 quarantine.

A former flight attendant, Tamara rapidly pivoted to real estate. Deciding to join the property industry in Serbia, the sector stood out for its unshakeable resilience, despite the pandemic.

After working in leasing for a year and a half, Tamara discovered her passion for it. But her dream continued to be to live somewhere “exotic”. So she couldn’t turn down the opportunity to relocate to the UAE as a flight attendant, and started flying again in late 2021.

Tamara spent two years in Dubai - flying for Emirates - but she noticed her yearning for the freedom, excitement, and thrilling unpredictability of working in real estate.

In February 2024, she moved to Abu Dhabi and returned to the real estate sector, starting from scratch. She spent nine months living off her flight attendant savings. She recalls being in “survival mode” at the time, and that it wasn’t easy, but she succeeded nevertheless.

Later that year, she joined the renowned Crompton Partners - a real estate firm in Abu Dhabi - and this is when her journey began to evolve rapidly. She started to get back on her feet, and her earnings grew significantly, as did her network. The rest is history.

Today, Tamara shares with us a typical day in her life and career:

 8:00AM - Soft mornings

I start my day with a cat cuddle. I get ready for the day, drink some water, fuel up with dates and vitamins, and I’m then out the door. Sometimes, if I’m not in a rush, I’ll journal. Other days, I listen to affirmations on YouTube while getting ready for my pilates class.

8:30AM - Jump start

Reformer pilates is something I never skip. It sets the tone for the rest of my day, making me feel and look good, and wakes me up better than a cup of coffee.

11AM - Homebound

Back home, I’m now checking my emails, messages, and social media.

But this is after I have my high-protein breakfast and coffee.

1PM - Online family time

I always have a call with my mom and dad around this time. In the summer, there’s a two-hour time difference between the UAE and Serbia, so this time works best for a quick catch up.

2PM - Back to work

Around this time, I find myself really busy with work and social media.

There are constant updates in the off-plan market, and I like to keep my clients informed weekly. I edit my own social media content, I schedule posts and consult my social media officer, and have a few phone calls. Sometimes, I head out for client meetings, but this doesn’t happen every day. If it’s an international client, we’ll have a meeting on Zoom.

5PM - Socializing

In the late afternoon, I like to go out and meet friends for a late lunch or drink. This way, I’m out socializing with friends, while staying open to networking opportunities too. You never know where and how you’ll meet your next buyer!

8PM - Decompress

I go out for a long walk, no matter how hot it gets outside.

I’m often in touch with clients at this time too, because they are off work and it’s convenient for them to discuss investment at this time rather than when they are at work.

10PM - Late hours

This is when I start winding down by watching Netflix or reading a book.

Sometimes, my international clients reach out around this time, but I don’t mind. I’m on the phone anyway, so I like to make sure I’m available - even this late. My former career as a flight attendant has made me resilient. I worked ultra-long hours, I dealt with a heavy workload in the middle of the night when my body was fighting sleep, so answering a text message at 10PM isn’t challenging for me. My journey so far helps put things into perspective. My clients are always very respectful, so even if I don’t respond that late, they understand.

11:30 - Bedtime

A scrolling marathon on TikTok and Instagram lulls me to sleep. I always find nuggets of inspiration when I’m scrolling, so I save them for future content ideas, and then it’s lights out.