Georges Jebran, a 57-year old hairdresser who owns a salon in Mar Mikhael, Beirut, considers haircuts for his customers his top priority. But for the last six years, he has also been working as a real estate broker. Jebran became involved in the brokerage business because real estate makes “good money.” He knows many foreigners and speaks several languages, both of which he considers to be requirements for the job. Bassam Mitri, a full time broker for the last 20 years, said he also entered this business because he likes “fast profit.” “People like to work as brokers, because you sell something and make money without spending a penny,” he said. What Mitri and Jebran have in common is that they both work independently. They do not work at real estate companies and have acquired their skills from personal experience. Mitri added that because of the absence of a
