Adil Raza Khan | August 19, 2025
Buy off-plan properties in Dubai with more confidence now as we write this blog focusing on the initial buying stages and post-completion stages up to the final handover.
What extra costs are involved, and how to ensure the reliability of an off-plan real estate developer in Dubai are matters that often bother off-plan buyers. We aim at simplifying these queries with our tips and suggestions that are practical and effective without making it sound complicated.
We are not discussing the top areas to explore for off-plan real estate investments in Dubai. You can check our previous blogs for the detailed data.
So, let us start right now without stretching the intro unnecessarily. But first, understand how to easily check out the credibility of a real estate developer in Dubai.
Meet the developer directly to have a fair idea about how credible the real estate company feels to you.
See how they communicate, how their office looks, and what their process is like and how tech-savvy they are (offering virtual views of the units); that can add value to your property selection and buying journey.
Ask these questions and try to find answers either through your own research or through the expert guidance of a RERA real estate agency.
One suggestion for you will be to check out some of the property portal websites that also transparently show the rental and sale price trends along with other insights. Go through the data and the comparative studies displayed there for all the top real estate developers in Dubai.
It will help you understand if the properties of the developer you are considering are performing well in the market compared to similar other Dubai off-plan real project types in a particular location/area.
The Dubai REST application, or the Project Status (Mashrooi) service (REST APP), details out vital data on real estate projects in Dubai. You can check out the launch and handover details of the off-plan projects in progress and those of the already completed projects with their expected and actual release dates.
You will get a clear picture of which developer usually delays and which ones respect the deadlines. This REST App, developed by the Dubai Land Department (DLD), is specifically designed for helping investors and buyers to smoothly track project progress, access updates, and go through project milestone statements.
Ask your RERA real estate agent to be frank with you about their experiences with the developer. Ask them to provide you with a fact sheet displaying all the project handover-related data and others. Listen to what they have to say and whom they prefer and why. Experienced agents always have in-depth knowledge of a developer and their performance history (including delays and transparency) over time.
Now, Let Us Help You Develop An Idea of How to Buy Dubai Off-plan Property
An E.O.I. is an expression of interest that you need to officially submit for declaring your interest in a particular off-plan property to the developer of the project. For off-plan properties, you should be real quick to submit E.O.I. before the launch. Remember, other investors/buyers are also eyeing your chosen units. It determines your standpoint in the queue, as it follows a “first come, first served basis” approach.
You pay a negligible amount as a Deposit (fully refundable). It shows your sincerity as a buyer and puts you in the confidence of the real estate developer. Show your Passport photocopy and give a valid Email Id. Buyers/investors need to complete a Reservation Form that they need to sign once they pay the small reservation fee or booking fees for the chosen off-plan real estate unit. The form confirms all the personal details, contact details, property details, and other brief information.
On the day of launch, you will know which units are accessible by you based on your specifications detailed in your E.O.I. Also, your standpoint (number) in the queue list does matter. Remember, You will have 15-20 minutes to affirm and proceed with the off-plan unit purchasing process. If you want to drop the choice given to you, rest assured the money is refunded and you can leave.
You have 2 days' time typically for making a Down Payment. Sign the Booking Form or OTP (Offer to Purchase) detailing the terms of sale. You pay 20% (usually it is 10-20% for Dubai off-plan real estate projects) as the Down Payment and a 4% Dubai Land Department fee to the Escrow account of the developer in the bank. This marks your Title Registration.
The MOU is drafted now and signed at the registration trustee’s office. It marks the mutual understanding between the developer and the investor/buyer regarding the sales and purchasing terms.
After you do Title Registration, pay the Down Payment and DLD fee, and sign the MOU, you will receive your SPA or Sales Purchase Agreement, within 30 days. As you sign the SPA after carefully reading all the pages, you enter the payment plan with the developer. You are not entitled to pay any installment before signing the SPA. Collect your Oquood now.
Please note that the SPA is your key ownership document given by the developer. Handle it and keep it with care. The document might be couriered to you. Read it carefully and sign every page of the document. Keep a photocopy and send it to the developer.
Dubai off-plan properties for sale come with several off-plan payment plans that are remarkably flexible.
Stretched over a period of time (sometimes continuing even after handover, as in post-handover plans), the amount is segmented into installments to be paid either once the project reaches certain milestones or as predetermined with the developer based on a certain timeline.
Then, you make a final payment on handover (without post-handover arrangement) or a certain percentage of the payment on handover (with post-handover arrangement).
PS. For detailed information on the popular off-plan payment plans, read our blog here.
One suggestion we would offer is to ask your real estate agent (considering you are taking help of an agent to smooth the process) to send you a draft of the SPA and the Reservation Form before you pay any installment or reservation fee!
The reason for this suggestion is there is a very faint scope of getting back your reservation money or the first installment in case you decide not to go ahead after disagreeing with the SPA terms.
You can apply for a mortgage (loan from a bank) to finance the payment just before the Handover as you show the BCC certificate to the bank. We will cover the BCC topic in the subsequent sections in this blog. You can secure up to 60% of the property price on loan.
As the project reaches its completion stage, as an investor you can think of ways to capitalize on it for good investments.
Your appointed RERA real estate agent is duty-bound to answer your queries and explain to you the progress of your reserved off-plan projects in Dubai. It is their responsibility to keep a tab on the progress and be in constant touch with the developer for keeping the investors well-informed. Feel free to ring them up as and when you need to know something. It is right, and it is your Right!
Use the REST App for tracking the progress personally as well. Every off-plan development project is regularly inspected and monitored by the Dubai Land Department at 3- or 6-month intervals. The findings of this inspection are documented and uploaded on the REST App.
We would suggest to occasionally (as and when possible for you) go to the project site on your own and see for yourself the progress in action. Take out your handset and film it if you want. And you should! You are allowed to do it. This method is suitable for those investors or buyers who stay close by or in Dubai.
We suggest you hire the service of a property management company who can do the checking with professional perfection. Or ask your RERA real estate agency to send someone along or go for the inspection on your behalf for a negligible sum of compensation for their extra services. They will click photographs, film the property, make a detailed report with a checklist to inspect, and even follow up with the developer if anything unusual is discovered.
PS. After you move in and find any issue (whatsoever), you have a year time to report about the same to the real estate developer of the project and its construction company. They are bound to address the concerns and correct the flaws.
Point 1: As a foreign-based investor, you cannot expect to apply for a mortgage for an off-plan property before it is completed! Yes, you read it right. Wait till its completion and collect your BCC (Building Completion Certificate) from the developer. Your bank will lend you funds after you have the BCC.
Point 2: Foreigners can mortgage in Dubai. Few banks allow expats to borrow up to 60% of the property price, while most banks typically allow 50% of the amount.
Point 3: Our advice is to consult and hire the help of a mortgage broker who can best represent your case to the chosen bank based on their loan situations and help you get the best of the deals curated for you.
Also, sign up with a foreign currency exchange program or service available with the bank. Ask your agent to help you with it. Our team is equipped with the knowledge and resources to do it. It will facilitate easily transferring money from your country to the escrow bank account of the real estate developer in the bank you approached.
Almost all the vital pre-handover and post-handover stages that are worth learning about before you set out to buy off-plan properties in Dubai. You also know what extra ownership costs there are, mortgage facilities, what documents to carry
and how to monitor the progress of the project besides checking out the reliability of the real estate developer in Dubai.
The numerous small yet significant suggestions we provided all through the blog would surely help you. Our experience backs them.
You can also directly contact us for more specialized guidance or comment your queries in the section below. Looking forward to helping you more!
WRITTEN BY
Adil Khan is a Dubai luxury real estate expert with over 13 years of experience in the UAE property market. He is the Chairman of APIL Properties.
Business Bay is the commercial and financial heart of Dubai. The area has been growing rapidly and is an established community by the legendary Emaar.
Do not let the name and fame fool you with the impression that it stays limited to business properties only. Residential off-plan projects in Business Bay contribute generously to its healthy mix of residential, commercial, and business projects.
The blog will cover some of the best off-plan real estate gems that shine bright in their own right. Additionally, know precisely what the major highlights of Business Bay are from location, lifestyle, and investment viewpoints.
Do not miss a million-dollar investment advice by our team of experts in the end.
Dubai Marina is an established waterfront community standing next to JBR and a very popular tourist center in Dubai. Off-plan projects in Dubai Marina interest end-users and investors alike for their lifestyle attractions and investment potential.
Dubai Marina is a prime location with a solid track record, and people do wish to live in this area. That is for real. Nevertheless, the scope of earning huge capital gains through investments and enjoying a peaceful and exclusive ambience here is still debatable.
We will try to provide a transparent assessment of the lifestyle suitability and investment scopes here, besides introducing our readers to the off-plan Dubai Marina new projects.
So, let’s get started with the first thing first:
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