Buying safely

Verify Before You Pay a Deposit

The most expensive mistake overseas buyers make in Dubai is paying a reservation deposit before confirming - through official channels - that the property is real, the seller owns it, and the area allows foreign ownership. Work through these six checks first. None of them costs anything, and each links to the official Dubai Land Department service.

0 of 6 checks complete

  1. 1 Confirm the area is freehold

    Foreign nationals can own property outright only in designated freehold areas. Elsewhere you may only get a leasehold or usage right - a very different thing from what most buyers assume. Confirm the specific community is freehold for your nationality before anything else. If a seller or agent is vague about this, treat it as a red flag.

    Check freehold on Dubai REST

  2. 2 Verify the seller is the registered owner

    This is the step that prevents the classic scam. Do not rely on a photo or PDF of a title deed - those are trivial to forge. Verify the deed through the official DLD channels: the Dubai REST app (the DLD's own app) or the verification services on dubailand.gov.ae. The name on the verified deed must match the person you are dealing with. If it does not, stop.

    Verify a title deed

  3. 3 For off-plan, verify the developer and escrow

    If you are buying off-plan (before completion), the project must be registered with RERA and payments must go into a regulated escrow account tied to that project - never to a developer's or agent's personal account. Check the developer's delivery track record and confirm the escrow arrangement in writing. Off-plan is where the largest sums are lost when this step is skipped.

    Verify licence & permits

  4. 4 Check for outstanding service charges and mortgages

    A property can be sold with unpaid service charges or an existing mortgage attached - you do not want to inherit either. Confirm the service-charge status with the owners' association or management company, and confirm any outstanding mortgage is settled as part of the sale. Ask for an official statement, not a verbal assurance.

    Service charges (Mollak)

  5. 5 Understand the true, total cost - and a fair price

    The sticker price is not the cost. Budget the DLD transfer fee (4%), agency commission (~2%), mortgage registration if financing, and the annual service charge - which varies widely and materially changes your real yield. And check the price itself against what comparable units actually sold for, not the asking price.

    Search comparable sales → Total-cost calculator →

  6. 6 Get everything into a registered contract

    Verbal agreements and WhatsApp messages do not carry the weight buyers assume. Dubai's system is built around officially registered documents. Insist on the standard registered sale contract, and keep the transaction inside the official process end to end.

KhaleejKeys is independent. We do not list properties, we are not an agent, a developer, or the registry, and nobody pays us to change what you see. We give you the honest price picture from registered transactions; the verification steps above are done through the DLD's own official services, which are the only authority on ownership and registration. This checklist is general information, not legal or investment advice - always verify current requirements and fees through official Dubai Land Department channels.

Want the detail behind each step?

Read the full guide
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