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Choosing off-plan property in Dubai
No. 1 for off-plan property selection in Dubai for English-speaking investors and buyers: we match a project to your goal and check the developer, payment plan, SPA and escrow account before you reserve. You get a project where the payment at the keys (40, 60, sometimes 80% of the price) and the exit are clear in advance.
Choose an off-plan project
Name and number — we will come back with questions about budget, payment plan and holding period.
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Off-plan is bought on a payment plan: 10–20% down, instalments on the developer’s schedule, the balance at the keys. A small entry ticket ties you in for two to three years, so a wrong choice costs more than on a ready home.
A RERA-licensed broker runs the selection and looks at each project as its future seller would. For adjacent tasks — a handover mortgage, a contract review — we bring in invited independent experts.
What do we check before the reservation?
Four things: the developer, the payment plan, the contract and liquidity at handover. The evidence is what the developer has delivered and whether dates were kept.
From the 2024 launches: a 36-storey tower of 453 flats in Downtown still shows completion in the first quarter of 2027 with progress in single digits. A gap like that almost always means a delay.
Payment plan
How much is due at the keys. If it is 40–80% of the price, we decide in advance how to cover it: own funds or a handover mortgage.
The SPA
Completion date and grace period, retention on cancellation, force majeure, the assignment threshold, area tolerance — before signing.
Liquidity at handover
How many similar units come to market at once, local rents, and whether the next master-plan phase will block the view.
How much do you need upfront?
A 10–20% down payment plus the 4% Dubai Land Department fee, paid when the contract is registered in Oqood, not at the keys. The rest follows the developer’s schedule.
A ready flat takes 100% at once plus a further 7–8% in costs. But off-plan capital earns nothing until the keys: it is a growth instrument on a 3–4 year horizon, while a ready home is a cash-flow instrument.
Does escrow protect the buyer’s money?
Yes, against misuse — not against delays. The mechanism has worked in Dubai since 2007: the account belongs to the project, not the company, a bank controls it, and funds cannot move between sites.
Releases need a consulting engineer’s report and RERA approval. Direct payments to the contractor open at roughly 20% progress, then at the 40%, 60% and 80% marks; a further 5% is held for a year after completion.
The most dangerous payment is one that bypasses the project account: the payment request must name the project, not the developer’s legal entity.
What to read in the SPA before the reservation payment
The contract is the developer’s template, and for two to three years it is the entire deal. We ask for the full text with annexes before reserving.
Almost every contract grants a grace period beyond the stated date — most often 12 months — with no compensation; buyer’s rights arise only after it expires. From handover, liability runs ten years for the structure and one year for building systems.
How do you exit before completion?
By assigning the contract: it goes through the developer and cannot be registered without consent. The contract sets a threshold — usually around 30–40% of the price paid — below which no sale is permitted.
Just before the keys, buyers expect a discount: losing about 15% of the money put in is the usual price of an urgent exit. The first letting season after a mass handover is weak too.
How do you cover the final payment at the keys?
With a bank. A handover mortgage covers up to 80% of the flat’s valuation, and what you have paid the developer counts as your contribution. The term runs to 25 years, with repayment by the age of 65.
Start a year before completion, six months at the latest. Income must be evidenced in the UAE at AED 15,000 a month or more; the benchmark rate is 3.99%, fixed for three years. After six months of arrears repossession begins, and the court returns 30% of what was paid.
How the work goes
In four steps, from your goal to the contract. Instead of yield promises: documents and figures from the Dubai Land Department register.
- 1
Goal and budget
Income, capital growth, a family home or a Golden Visa. We work out the entry amount, the payment at the keys and the holding period.
- 2
Shortlist
We compare developers, districts and phases, naming the specific sub-community and phase rather than the whole master plan.
- 3
Checks
We verify DLD registration, the completion percentage in the register, escrow details and the SPA. Neighbouring plots and permitted heights are confirmed in writing.
- 4
Reservation and follow-through
We confirm the Oqood record and stay in touch: account checks at each payment, date changes, mortgage preparation, snagging.
Who runs the work?
The RERA-licensed broker runs the selection and the transaction personally, from the budget conversation to contract registration and handover.
Invited experts join for adjacent tasks. They are independent practitioners, not staff: a mortgage broker, a property lawyer, a snagging specialist. We pick the expert for the task, make the introduction and stay in touch until the result.
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Choose an off-plan project
Name and number — we will come back with questions about budget, payment plan and holding period.
Choose an off-plan project
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Frequently asked questions
Does an off-plan purchase qualify for the Golden Visa?
In Dubai, yes: since January 2024 a property valued at AED 2 million or more by the Dubai Land Department qualifies, including one under construction or mortgaged. The developer must be on the DLD-approved list. Abu Dhabi counts only the amount already paid to the developer.
What happens to the money if a project is stopped?
The regulator can cancel a frozen project; liquidation follows and the escrow balance is distributed among buyers. It is slow, and a full refund is not assured — so a record of delivered projects matters more than any account structure.
What should you do if the developer moves the completion date?
Find the handover date and grace period in your contract, check progress in the Dubai Land Department register and ask for a written explanation. An addendum signed unread can wipe out accrued claims. For scale, one 71-storey tower slipped by about three quarters.
Off-plan or a ready flat: which should you choose?
For rent from the first month or keys for a move, buy ready. To spread payments and ride price growth, with the money not needed for three to four years, choose off-plan from a reliable developer.
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