
Ready or Secondary Market
So you have finally decided to buy a house in Dubai after finding out how beneficial owning a property in Dubai can be.
Buying a property as an expat might sound like a complicated procedure, filled with obstacles that could cripple small-time players. But you don’t have to look at it that way; the Dubai Land Department, along with the legislating bodies in charge, have made sure the process of purchasing a property in Dubai is smooth and fast.

This is a much quicker way to acquire a property in Dubai, however, it is a slightly more complicated process which involves more financial expenses.
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An investor who wishes to buy a property where the seller has a mortgage needs to be in a position to discharge the seller’s mortgage before collecting their title deed from the Land Department.
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The buyer needs to use a RERA-registered broker.
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Upon viewing the property, the buyer presents an offer to the seller, and once the buyer’s offer has been accepted, the seller’s agent will produce the memorandum of understanding (contract) which states all the costs and responsibilities of both parties.
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The buyer then pays a 10 per cent deposit in the name of the seller to secure the property.
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Depending on whether the buyer is paying cash or via a mortgage, the next step is for the buyer’s bank to carry out a valuation procedure to inspect the property and ensure that it is secure enough.
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Once the buyer receives the final approval, the seller will apply for the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the developer.
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An appointment needs to be booked at the Land Department in order to complete the transfer.
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When all processes have been registered, the buyer needs to pay 4% and AED315 to the DLD, along with the purchase price to the seller and the commission to the agent.
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The buyer will then be given the title deed which will be in his name, along with the keys and the access cards to the new house.
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In case you are unable to pay for the property in cash, you will need to apply for a mortgage. In order to secure a mortgage approval, you need to prepare the following:
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Salary letter from your employer
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Any salary slips you might have received
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Bank statements of the last six months
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Passport copy with both a photo and visa page
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Copy of your Emirates ID
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Copy of current credit card statements
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Proof of address
The mortgage pre-approval stage might take up to seven days for salaried borrowers, and even longer for self-employed individuals.
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Can you define the different kinds of prices of a property?
List Price: The list price is the asking price of the property and is negotiable.
Sale Price: The sale price is what the owner will settle at.
Appraised Value: The value provided by the real estate agent by comparing the property’s value with other properties in the market.
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What other costs should I consider?
When it comes to selling:
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Clearance of mortgage (cancellation fees)
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Clearance of service charges/maintenance fees
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Settlement of DEWA/District cooling
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Developer’s NOC if required
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Transfer fees paid to the Land Department
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Commission
When it comes to buying:
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Deposits as per Agreement of sale between Buyer & Seller
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Transfer fees with the Land Department
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Connection fees for electricity and water authorities
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Community service fees
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Mortgage application fees if required
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Misc admin fees to the Land Department
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Commission
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Advantages:
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Complete control on your property from the time of purchase.
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You can lease your property immediately and start earning rental income.
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If you are living on rent and plan to reside within the property, then you can save on rent.
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For any reason, if you want to sell the property, you can do so at any time.
Disadvantages:
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Typically, the complete price needs to be paid at once since most of on-plan properties do not offer flexible payment plans.
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On-plan properties are costlier than their off-plan counterparts since the property is fully built and ready to move into.
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Since the property is built, there is a limited scope for major internal modifications to it.
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Before selling the property, you have to spend money on remodeling in order to suit the needs to the buyer.
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