Buying, renting and selling in Dubai
The process end to end, written the way we explain it on the phone — what happens, what it costs and where deals usually stall.
Buying a property, step by step
From a first search to the keys, assuming a resale purchase with a mortgage.
Set the real budget
Add 6–7% to the purchase price for transfer, agency and trustee fees, plus about 1% of the loan if you are borrowing. Get a mortgage pre-approval first — it is valid for around 60 days and it turns your offer into a credible one.
Shortlist, then view in groups
Five to eight properties is enough to calibrate. See them in one or two blocks rather than one a week, so you are comparing against fresh memory instead of photographs.
Check the building, not just the unit
Service charge per square foot, chiller arrangement, lift count against unit count, and whether the reserve fund has been drawn on recently. A cheap unit in a badly run tower is not cheap.
Offer with evidence
Recent transactions in the same building carry far more weight than asking prices in the same community. Once agreed, both parties sign the MOU (Form F) and the buyer places a 10% deposit with the trustee.
NOC and transfer
The seller applies to the developer for a no-objection certificate; this is where most timelines slip. With the NOC issued, both parties attend the trustee office and the title deed is issued the same day.
Handover and utilities
Snag before you accept keys. Transfer DEWA and any chiller account, register the property for service charges, and keep the title deed and the developer’s handover pack together.
Renting: what to check before you sign
The contract
Confirm the landlord on the title deed matches the person signing, agree the cheque split in writing, and make sure maintenance responsibility is stated rather than assumed.
- Ejari registration is the tenant’s protection, not a formality
- 90 days’ notice is required for any renewal change
- Check the RERA index before accepting an increase
The property
Photograph everything on move-in day. Test the air conditioning in every room, run the taps, and ask which utilities are on a district cooling account.
- Budget for DEWA deposit and chiller registration
- Parking bays are not always included
- Ask about the building’s move-in rules and hours
Selling without losing three months
Price it against evidence
Overpricing costs more than it earns. Listings that sit unsold for two months attract offers below what a correctly priced launch would have achieved.
Present it properly
Professional photography, a floor plan and a decluttered unit. Most buyers decide whether to view from the first three images.
Get the file ready early
Title deed, passport copies, service-charge clearance and any mortgage settlement figure. Having these ready removes a fortnight from the timeline.
Want this applied to your situation?
Send us the property or the brief and we will tell you what the next step actually is, with the numbers attached.