New to off-plan? This Property Finder guide outlines the essential concepts, who the agencies are that govern them, and the minimum professional workflow to run compliant, confidence-building deals. It’s designed to be read in minutes and to point you to deeper Partner Hub guides where needed.
What “off-plan” really means
In Dubai, off-plan is not a marketing term. It’s a regulated real estate option with clear steps, systems, and records. In an off-plan deal you’re selling a home under construction. The buyer signs a Sale & Purchase Agreement (SPA), pays in instalments, and receives legal title at handover. That sequence shapes what you promise and when.
Oqood and title transfer basic
Once the SPA is signed, you (or the developer) register the contract on Oqood, the Dubai Land Department’s off-plan register, creating the official record of the buyer, unit, and payment plan (see DLD – Initial Sale Registration)
Point clients to this record early. It reassures them that their purchase is officially logged, and it keeps you aligned with the same data they see.
The title is issued to the client only at transfer/handover. The deed is generated digitally inside Dubai REST (see DLD – Issuance of Title Deed)
Use this milestone as your anchor when discussing timelines and things like utilities.
Other Important links:
Dubai Land Department – Oqood (Initial Sale Registration)
Who’s in charge: the regulatory map you need to know
Dubai’s off-plan market is tightly regulated. Different agencies handle different pieces of the process. Knowing who oversees what (and where their records live) lets you answer questions quickly and stay compliant.
- Dubai Land Department (DLD) — Land registry. Issues Oqood (initial off-plan registration) and final title deeds, publishes verified project progress via Mashrooi in Dubai REST.
Link: DLD Project Status (Mashrooi)
- RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Agency) — Regulates developers, project escrow accounts, brokers, advertising permits and milestone releases.
Link: DLD / RERA FAQs (escrow & regulation)
- Escrow Agents (RERA-approved banks) — Hold buyer monies in project-specific escrow accounts tied to construction milestones.
Link: DLD escrow overview (FAQs)
- Trakheesi — Advertising/permit system (incl. Form A) required before marketing any listing.
Link: Trakheesi permits application
- DEWA — Utility activation at handover (Move-In service).
Link: DEWA – Activation of Electricity/Water (Move-In)
Regulatory essentials (and when to call counsel)
These are the core laws you’ll encounter most often in off-plan sales. You don’t need to memorise them, but you should know what they cover and what questions to ask your lawyer.
Law No. 8 of 2007 — Escrow (how buyer money is handled)
What it means in practice: Every buyer payment goes into a project-specific escrow account and is released only against RERA-certified milestones. A retention (commonly 5%) is held for 12 months post-completion.
Use it to: Explain “where the money goes”, request escrow IBANs/receipts, and reassure clients about fund releases.
Common Question for Attorneys: “Is the escrow account properly opened for this project and are our payment instructions compliant?”
Law No. 13 of 2008 (as amended by Law No. 19 of 2017) — Unit sales & notices
What it means in practice: Sets the off-plan framework and requires a 30-day notice before enforcement if a buyer misses an instalment.
Use it to: Align your 30-day payment reminders with the formal process and distinguish marketing dates from legal timelines.
Common Question for Attorneys: “How should our client communications mirror the 30-day notice procedure in this project?”
By-Law No. 85 of 2006 — Brokerage (how your fee is set)
What it means in practice: Commission is by agreement, not fixed by RERA; if unspecified, prevailing practice applies.
Use it to: Anchor your developer–broker marketing/allocation agreement and avoid claims of a “standard government rate.”
Common Question for Attorneys: “Does our commission clause cover payment trigger, timing, and claw-back scenarios?”
Important Note: This section is meant to be informational, and is not legal advice. It’s important to always consult a qualified UAE real-estate lawyer.
The off-plan deal, end-to-end – Seven moves that keep you in control
With the legal framework in mind, the deal itself is straightforward. Off-plan sales run through seven stages, from allocation to handover, and mastering the flow keeps both you and your client on track.
1) Sourcing off-plan stock
Start with relationships, not listings. Meet the developer’s sales lead, understand allocations, and sign a marketing/allocation agreement that spells out inventory, geography, deliverables and commission terms. Confirm the project is RERA-licensed and escrowed before you commit.
2) Get permission to market
Before a single ad goes live, secure a valid Trakheesi advertising permit and Form A. Display the permit on every creative and portal listing. Once the permit is live, move from promotion to process.
3) Initial payment and escrow
When the buyer books, ensure funds go to the project escrow account and save the official fee/escrow receipt for your file and the client’s recap. This is your first proof point on buyer protection.
4) SPA signed → Oqood issued
Have the Sale & Purchase Agreement (SPA) signed and register it on Oqood. Share the Oqood e-certificate—unit, buyer details and the payment plan—as the single source of truth for the deal. From the contract to when the concrete is poured to handing over the keys, keep clients focused on verified progress.
5) Construction phase (verify, then report)
Track RERA-certified milestones via Mashrooi in Dubai REST and send a monthly screen-grab alongside your site photo or reel. If the schedule shifts, you’ll have audited percentages to explain the change.
6) Assignment (if allowed)
Some projects permit assignment once roughly 30–40% of the plan is paid and the developer issues an NOC. Rules and fees are project-specific—get them in writing before you promise an exit path.
7) Handover & transfer
Book an independent snag inspection 6–8 weeks before keys, share the DEWA Move-In steps about two weeks out, and settle the final Statement of Account. On key day, confirm transfer and share the digital title deed in Dubai REST.
This process helps you ensure every update you send is anchored in the regulatory systems your client can independently check. With the process mapped, the next conversation is usually about money—how much, when, and in what form.
Money basics
Clients rarely see the full cost structure upfront, so part of your role is to break it down clearly. The exact figures will vary by developer and payment plan, but the framework is consistent: booking, staged instalments, registration fees, and handover costs. By setting expectations early—and pointing buyers to official DLD sources—you keep conversations grounded in facts, not assumptions.
Buyer costs
Walk clients through the sequence of payments, not just the headline price:
- A booking fee of around 10–20% (depending on the plan).
- Staged instalments during construction, tied to milestones.
- The 4% DLD registration fee at transfer.
- Trustee/administrative charges and utility activation fees at handover.
Encourage buyers to budget for smaller handover incidentals such as snag rectifications and DEWA deposits, which sometimes can be overlooked in marketing brochures.
Commissions
There is no RERA-set “standard” commission. Fees are by agreement and must be documented in the developer–broker marketing/allocation agreement and Form A. In practice, off-plan commissions often fall in the 2–8% range, but you should always quote the contracted figure—never a rule of thumb. [source DLD – Brokerage By-Law (By-Law No. 85 of 2006)]
Payment-plan literacy
Help clients understand the structure of their payment plan:
- Booking → construction instalments tied to milestones → optional post-handover tail.
Flag two checkpoints clearly at the outset:
- The earliest assignment point (often after 30–40% is paid, subject to a developer NOC).
- Late-payment clauses in the SPA, including penalties and the statutory 30-day notice before enforcement.
Important Links
DLD – Initial Sale Registration (Oqood)
DLD – Legislation (Law 13 of 2008 / Law 19 of 2017)
Once the numbers are clear, the next step is protecting the process—making sure every permit, payment and progress update checks out.
Risk controls & red flags (non-negotiables)
With costs mapped and timelines set, protect the process. In Dubai, compliance is part of your value proposition: it keeps deals clean and clients confident.
- Verify the project before you sell it. Confirm the project licence and escrow IBAN and share the buyer’s Oqood certificate in your reservation recap. (DLD Oqood: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/request-to-register-the-initial-sale/)
- Trust audited progress, not brochures. Cross-check every developer circular against Mashrooi and quote the RERA-certified completion % in updates. (DLD Project Status: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/real-estate-project-status-landing/real-estate-project-status/)
- No permit, no posting. Do not advertise without a valid Trakheesi permit and Form A on file, include the permit on all creative. (Trakheesi: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/real-estate-advertising-permits/)
- Document the exit. For assignments, get the developer’s NOC rules and fees in writing before you promise timelines or pricing flexibility.
Where to go next — build your off-plan knowledge fast
You’ve now covered the fundamentals. To deepen your edge—and put this knowledge into practice—these Partner Hub guides show you how agents are applying it in the field
- Off-Plan Developments: A Golden Opportunity. Market context for agency owners and new agents: where the demand sits, how to resource, and the unit economics to watch.
- Off-Plan Sales Strategies. How top agents win allocations, segment buyers, and market launches without guesswork. Clear, repeatable tactics for enquiry → allocation → mandate.
- Your Off-Plan Completion Blueprint. The follow-through cadence from deposit to keys: escrow proof, milestone updates, snagging, utilities, and title-deed handover.
Helpful Property Finder tools:
Use Data Guru for quick community charts in client updates, keep listings Verified to signal documentation discipline, and maintain a Community Expert badge for consistent visibility. These are useful levers that help create confidence in your clients, and ensure you can make more real estate sales faster.
Key takeaways
Off-plan in Dubai is highly regulated, but there’s a clear roadmap. You sell a home under construction, sign an SPA, register on Oqood, and the title deed arrives at handover in Dubai REST. Earn trust by knowing where the facts live—DLD for Oqood/title and Mashrooi progress, RERA for rules and escrow, Trakheesi for permits, DEWA for move-in. Run a clean sequence: permit to market, booking paid into project escrow with a receipt, SPA + Oqood, monthly progress pulled from Mashrooi, handover with snagging, utilities, and deed. Set money expectations on day one: 10–20% booking, staged instalments, 4% DLD fee at transfer, plus handover costs, your commission is by agreement, so quote the contracted rate. Manage timelines realistically—most launches target 18–36 months and may use a lawful buffer—communicate with verified data rather than brochure dates. If assignment is on the table, confirm the threshold and developer NOC in writing. Keep proof at your fingertips (permit ID, escrow IBAN, receipts, Oqood), and you replace doubt with documentation. Keep the roadmap simple, the documentation verifiable, and the communication consistent—do that, and off-plan becomes not just another sales channel, but the cornerstone of long-term success.
This guide is for general information and does not constitute legal advice. Always confirm current rules on the Dubai Land Department and DEWA websites before advising clients or marketing a project.
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