What actually happens between the day you reserve a unit and the day you collect the keys — the escrow account, the registration, the fees, the payment plan, and the questions that separate a sound purchase from a hopeful one.
Off-plan is buying a property from the developer before it is built, or while it is being built. You buy from a drawing and a show apartment, pay in instalments tied to construction, and take the keys at handover. Dubai's off-plan market is large, mature and heavily regulated — and that regulation is the reason it works.
Three institutions sit behind every off-plan sale. The Dubai Land Department (DLD) registers the property and holds the official record. The Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), part of DLD, licenses developers, brokers and projects. And a RERA-approved escrow account holds your money until the developer has earned it.
Under Dubai's escrow law, a developer selling off-plan must open a dedicated escrow account for each project with an approved bank. Every dirham a buyer pays goes into that account, not to the developer directly. The bank releases funds to the developer only against certified construction progress. If a project stalls, the money is ring-fenced.
This is the single most important fact about buying off-plan in Dubai, and it is the first thing to verify: is the specific project registered with DLD, and does it have an escrow account? Both are checkable. If a seller cannot show you a DLD project number and an escrow account, walk away.
Pick the unit. Before paying anything, confirm the DLD project number and the escrow bank.
Some launches take an Expression of Interest (EOI) deposit before units are allocated. Then a reservation form is signed and a booking deposit paid — into escrow. Ask whether the EOI is refundable if you are not allocated a unit; policies differ.
The developer issues the SPA. Read it. It sets the payment schedule, the anticipated completion date, the grace period allowed, the size tolerance, and what happens if either side defaults. It is signed by both parties.
The sale is registered with DLD on the interim register — the "Oqood" — in your name. This is your legal title to the off-plan unit. The 4% DLD registration fee is paid at this point. If your purchase is not on Oqood, it is not registered.
You pay according to the SPA schedule, typically against construction milestones. Each payment goes into escrow. Keep every receipt.
When the building receives its completion certificate, the developer calls for the final instalment and any handover charges, the unit is inspected, and the Oqood converts to a full title deed in your name.
The headline price is not the whole number. Budget for the following, and ask the developer which of these it pays on your behalf during a launch — some do, as an incentive.
| Cost | Typical amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| DLD registration fee | 4% of the purchase price | At Oqood registration |
| Oqood / admin fees | A fixed fee, set by DLD | At registration |
| Broker commission | Usually paid by the developer on off-plan, not the buyer — confirm in writing | — |
| Service charges | Annual, per square foot, set per building | From handover |
| Utilities connection | DEWA deposit and connection | At handover |
| Handover charges | Vary by developer — ask before signing | At handover |
Figures above are the standard structure, not a quote. Fees are set by DLD and by each developer and can change; we confirm the exact numbers for a specific unit before you commit.
A payment plan is simply the schedule of instalments in the SPA. Common shapes are 60/40 (60% during construction, 40% at handover), 50/50, and 1% per month structures. A post-handover plan lets you keep paying after you have the keys — for example 60% during construction and 40% over two or three years after handover.
Two things to understand. First, a post-handover plan is a debt to the developer: until it is paid, the developer keeps a charge on the unit and you cannot sell or mortgage it freely. Second, a longer plan is a sales tool as much as a convenience — it is often priced in. Compare the total you will pay, not just the monthly figure.
A Dubai broker must hold a RERA broker card, and the brokerage an Office Registration Number (ORN). Ours are on every page of this site. Beyond the licence, a good broker does four things on an off-plan purchase: registers you with the developer before you make contact, so you are represented; reads the SPA with you and flags the clauses that cost money; knows which developers hand over on time because they have checked, not because a brochure says so; and tells you when not to buy.
Published 23 September 2026 · General information, not legal or financial advice · Eluvra Global Properties L.L.C, RERA ORN 57318