November 2025

Buying in Dubai or anywhere in the UAE is exciting—but the Sales & Purchase Agreement (SPA) is where deals are truly won or lost. I’ve reviewed enough SPAs to see the same pitfalls repeat: vague property descriptions, fuzzy handover timelines, and missing protections for buyers. The good news? Once you know what to scan for,

If you can’t verify a project and its developer with RERA/DLD in minutes, don’t sign anything. You have two reliable checkpoints in Dubai: the Dubai REST mobile app and the Dubai Land Department (DLD) online services. Use them before you transfer a dirham or commit to an off-plan promise. Why this matters (and why buyers

A typical residential tower in Dubai wraps in ~2–4 years, while a large master-planned community needs ~4–5+ years, usually in phases. What that actually means for you If you’re budgeting, negotiating SPAs, or aligning off-plan milestones to cash flow, timing isn’t a footnote—it’s your risk model. Towers tend to be more predictable. Communities? More moving

Here’s the bottom line: You can sell or assign your off-plan property in Dubai before handover. But it isn’t a free-for-all—it’s a regulated process with developer approvals, DLD registration, and specific payment thresholds. What’s actually happening in the market Assignment (or “resale before handover”) lets you transfer your Sales & Purchase Agreement (SPA) to a

Why that discount existsDevelopers sell early in the project timeline, so they price to entice and pair it with flexible payment plans. You’re trading today’s lower price for tomorrow’s finished building, which is why the upfront cost can be noticeably lighter than a ready property. The upside (and the catch)Buyers can see capital appreciation as

Most buyers don’t want to pay big money before they see real progress on site. That’s exactly why construction-linked payment plans exist. They tie what you pay to what’s been built. What a CLP Really Means With a CLP, you start with a booking fee and a down payment, then you pay in stages as

Buying off-plan in Dubai isn’t just for all-cash buyers. You can use a mortgage—but the rules are tighter than for ready homes. In most cases, banks cap lending at 50% of the property value, require the project to hit around 40–50% completion, and only fund approved developers. Funds then flow in stages tied to construction