Buying off-plan — a property reserved before it is built — remains the entry point for most international buyers in Dubai. In the first four months of 2026, off-plan accounted for roughly 74% of all residential transactions. The appeal is straightforward: staged payments, a lower entry price, and appreciation between contract and handover. The mechanics, though, differ from buying a finished home, and the differences are worth understanding before you commit.
The reservation and the sales agreement
A purchase begins with a reservation form and a booking deposit, typically 5–10% of the price. The developer then issues a Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) setting out the unit, the price, the payment plan and the expected handover date. Read it closely: the SPA is where delivery timelines, specification, and the consequences of a delay are defined. This is the document an advisor earns their keep on.
Registration: the Oqood
Once the booking deposit clears, the developer registers the purchase with the Dubai Land Department and you receive an Oqood — the digital registration certificate for an off-plan unit. The DLD registration fee of 4% of the property value is paid at this stage. You do not pay it again at handover, when the Oqood converts to a full title deed.
Escrow: where your money sits
Under Law No. 8 of 2007, every off-plan project must route buyer funds through a project-specific escrow account regulated by RERA. The developer draws against that account only as construction milestones are independently certified — the central protection for an off-plan buyer. One 2026 change to note: banks no longer finance upfront transaction costs, so DLD fees, agency commission and administrative charges are settled in cash.
Payment plans and handover
Most plans open with around 20% on signing, followed by instalments tied to construction stages, and increasingly a post-handover tail that runs one to three years after you take keys. At completion you inspect the unit (the snagging stage), connect utilities through DEWA, and the Oqood is replaced by a title deed registered in your name. Budget for service charges from the handover date — they begin whether or not you have moved in.
Where to look
Developer track record matters more off-plan than anywhere else, because you are buying a promise to deliver. Established names such as Emaar, DAMAC and Sobha carry long completion histories worth weighing against newer entrants. Waterfront districts like Dubai Creek Harbour and emerging corridors such as Dubai South hold much of the current pipeline. You can review current off-plan and ready listings across the city on our property search.
Off-plan rewards patience and due diligence in equal measure. The structure protects you; the developer’s record decides the outcome. We advise on both before a deposit is placed.