Questions to Ask Before Your First Off-Plan Purchase
Before your first off-plan purchase in Dubai, ask questions in seven areas: your own goals, your money, the developer, the broker, the project and community, the contract, and life after handover. Good answers come in writing and can be checked on the Dubai Land Department's official tools. This guide lists the questions that matter, explains why each one matters, and ends with a short printable list to bring to every viewing or call.
Written by Next Reality Research5 min read
Key points
Start with your goal and time horizon. The right project for living in is often not the right one for letting.
Plan for every payment, not just the down payment. Banks may lend up to 50% of the property value on off-plan property.
Check the project in DLD's Project Status Enquiry (Mashrooi) on the DLD website and in the Dubai REST app and the broker on DLD's licensed broker list.
Ask for every answer that matters in writing, and make sure the contract says the same.
Ask about service charges and letting rules before you buy, not after handover.
Your first off-plan purchase involves a long commitment to something you cannot see yet. The best protection is to ask the right questions early, get the answers in writing, and check them on official sources. The questions below are grouped by who you ask: yourself, the developer, the broker and the contract. A short printable list is at the end.
Questions about your goals
Start here, because every other answer depends on it.
Will I live in the unit, let it long term, let it short term, or hold it for a later sale? Each goal points to different areas, unit types and buildings.
How long can I hold it? Off-plan projects take time to complete, and selling before handover depends on the developer’s conditions. If you may need the money back within a few years, think carefully.
Is residency part of my plan? Property-linked visas have their own conditions, set by the authorities. Check them before you choose a unit, not after.
What would make this a bad outcome for me? For example, a delay of a year, a lower value at handover, or not being able to let the unit short term. Decide now whether you could live with each.
How much cash do I have available today, and what will I still have after the down payment?
Can I pay every instalment until handover from savings or reliable income? List them with dates.
How will I pay the balance at completion? For off-plan property, the Central Bank of the UAE caps a bank loan at up to 50% of the property value, and each bank decides within that. Ask a bank for an indication before you commit.
What are the other costs? On registration of the initial sale, DLD charges these fees: 4% of the sale value (2% from the seller and 2% from the buyer), an AED 10 knowledge fee and an AED 10 innovation fee, and AED 1,000 when the developer registers the sale in Oqood itself. Add any developer administrative charges, any mortgage costs, furnishing and service charges.
If I am paying from abroad, how will currency movements affect each instalment?
What happens if I cannot pay? Under Dubai’s interim register law, after notice the developer may terminate and keep up to 40% of the unit price if the project is 60% or more complete, or up to 25% if works have started but are below 60%, depending on the project’s completion.
What is the project’s registered name and number with DLD? Then check it in DLD's Project Status Enquiry (Mashrooi) on the DLD website and in the Dubai REST app.
Which bank holds the project escrow account, and what is the account number? It should match the official record.
What is the expected completion date, and what grace period does the contract allow?
What has the developer completed before, and were those projects delivered on time? See our guide on how to evaluate a developer.
What are the resale conditions before handover? Ask how much you must have paid and what the NOC costs.
What is the expected service charge budget for the building?
Which finishes, appliances and amenities are included in the contract, not just in the brochure?
Questions to ask the broker
Are you and your company licensed?Brokers must be licensed and entered in the DLD Real Estate Brokers Register; registration number must appear in all correspondence. Check both on DLD’s licensed broker and licensed brokerage services.
Does the advert have a permit?Every real estate advert needs a Trakheesi permit, and the permit number and QR code must appear on the advert.
Do you have a marketing agreement with this developer? RERA expects brokers marketing off-plan projects to have one.
Who are you acting for in this transaction, and how is your commission arranged? Ask for the answer in writing. DLD says commission is set by the brokerage agreement.
Do you have any interest in this project beyond the sale? For example, a personal stake or a special arrangement with the developer.
Where do I pay? The answer should always be the project escrow account. Brokers must pay off-plan buyer money straight into the project escrow account, without deducting commission.
Questions about the project and community
Who is the master developer of the community, and who will manage the building? The project status record names the developer and management company.
What is already built and open nearby, and what is still planned? Only rely on what exists or is officially confirmed.
How will I get to work, school or the airport from here?
What does the community allow? Letting, pets, alterations and use rules can differ by building.
How many similar units are completing nearby at the same time? It can affect rents and resale when your unit is ready.
Questions about the contract
Does the sales and purchase agreement include the floor plan, net area and specification schedule?
What does it say about delay, grace period and remedies?
Are instalments tied to construction milestones or to fixed dates?
What happens if the finished area is smaller than stated?
What are the assignment and resale terms?
Does anything in it prevent the use I plan, such as short-term letting?
Our SPA checklist goes through each clause. If any term is unclear, ask a lawyer before you sign.
Questions about after handover
What will service charges be? Look up approved rates for similar completed buildings in the DLD / RERA Service Charge Index.
Can I let the unit short term? Only with official approval. A DET (formerly DTCM) licence and a holiday home permit are required. Check the official permit rules and the building’s rules first.
Who will manage letting and maintenance if I live abroad?
What is the defects process after handover, and who do I contact?
Bring these questions to a free advisory call
We will go through your answers with you and show you where to check each one. Every consultation is free, with no obligation.
This page is general information, not legal, tax, immigration or financial advice. Rules and fees are set by the authorities and can change. Confirm the details with the authority or a licensed adviser before you act. Read our disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
What should a first-time buyer check before booking off-plan?
Check that the project appears in DLD's Project Status Enquiry with an escrow account, that the developer and broker are licensed, and that the advert has a permit number. Then read the sales and purchase agreement, list every instalment and fee, and make sure you can pay all of them even if a mortgage at completion is smaller than planned.
Who pays the broker on an off-plan purchase?
Ask the broker directly before you commit, and get the answer in writing. DLD says a broker's commission is set by the brokerage agreement, or by prevailing custom if the agreement is silent. On an off-plan sale, the law requires the broker to pay your money into the project escrow account without deducting commission from it.
How much cash do I need beyond the down payment?
Budget for every instalment until handover, DLD registration fees, any developer administrative charges, and any balance a bank will not finance at completion. Then add furnishing and the first service charges. Our guide to the full cost of buying off-plan lists each item, and the purchase cost calculator adds them up for your price.
Sources
Official sources used on this page. Each was checked on the date shown.
Buying off-plan in Dubai follows ten steps, from checking the project on DLD's services to receiving your title deed. You set your goals and budget, verify the project and developer, reserve, sign the sales and purchase agreement, have the sale registered in Oqood, pay instalments into escrow, track construction, complete, and take handover. This guide explains each step and what to check.
Buying off-plan in Dubai costs the price plus a Dubai Land Department registration fee, small DLD charges and, if you borrow, mortgage registration and bank fees. After handover you pay service charges. This guide lists each cost at booking, during construction, at handover and after, with the official fee pages, so you can budget before you sign. Every government figure links to its official source.
To evaluate a Dubai developer, start with DLD's official registers, then look at evidence of how it delivers. Confirm the developer is licensed and the project is registered, with an escrow account, in DLD's project status service. Then look at the developer's delivery record in DLD's project data, the build quality of finished communities, the fairness of its contract terms and how its buildings are managed after handover. Unregistered projects, payments outside escrow and pressure to pay quickly are red flags.
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