Do's and don'ts of buying property in Dubai
The habits that protect buyers from India, and the mistakes we see most often. Read this before you pay a booking amount.
Do
Check the advertising permit
Every legal property advert in Dubai carries a Trakheesi permit number and a Madmoun QR code. Scan it and make sure the details match the listing.
Verify the broker
Ask for the agent's broker registration number and the company's office registration number, and check both on the Dubai Land Department's licence and permit verification service.
Compare the price with the area average
Use transaction based averages as your starting point, then compare with recent sales in the same building or cluster.
Pay off plan instalments into the project escrow account
Off plan payments should go to the escrow account named in your sale agreement, not to the developer's general account or an agent.
Get every cost in writing
Ask for a written breakdown before you reserve: the 4% Land Department transfer fee, registration and trustee charges, agency commission and annual service charges.
Keep your remittance paperwork
Send money through your bank under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme and keep the forms and receipts. You will need them for tax and for future sale proceeds.
See the home, or have it seen for you
Visit, book a live video walkthrough, or have an independent inspection done for ready homes.
Read the sale agreement in full
For off plan homes, check the handover date, the delay clause, the payment plan and what happens if you need to resell before handover.
Don't
Don't pay a token amount to a personal account
Deposits go to the brokerage's company account, the conveyancing trustee or the developer's escrow account. Never to an individual, and never in cash.
Don't treat an expo signature as a purchase
At property exhibitions, what you sign is a preliminary reservation. The purchase is only complete when it is registered with the Land Department.
Don't trust guaranteed returns
No one can guarantee rental income or resale profit in writing unless it is a formal, contracted guarantee from the developer. Treat verbal promises as marketing.
Don't buy from a WhatsApp forward or social post alone
Adverts shared in groups often skip the permit checks. Ask for the permit and QR code before you engage.
Don't send money through informal channels
Paying through hawala or unofficial agents breaks Indian foreign exchange rules and leaves you with no proof of payment.
Don't sign a broad power of attorney
If someone signs on your behalf, limit the power of attorney to the specific property and transaction.
Don't budget only in rupees
The price that counts is in AED. A weaker rupee between booking and final payment raises your cost in India.
Don't stretch just to reach a visa threshold
Buy the home that works as an investment or a home first. Visa rules can change, and the property has to make sense on its own.
Book a consultation
Tell us your budget and what you want the home to do for you. We reply on WhatsApp to set up a call and a shortlist of areas that fit.