Dubai investor guide
Dubai Off-Plan Due-Diligence Checklist
The project, escrow, contract and payment checks to complete before placing a reservation.
Last reviewed: September 9, 2026 · Verify availability and terms before reserving.
Verify the parties
Confirm the developer, project, broker and receiving account using independent official sources—not only a forwarded brochure or payment request. Match company names, unit identifiers and permit details across the documents.
Confirm project registration and escrow
Use current Dubai Land Department channels to verify the project and examine available status information. Confirm the project escrow account independently before any transfer. Escrow is an important protection, but it does not remove construction, contract or market risk.
Read the contract's failure scenarios
Review milestone payments, completion obligations, grace periods, cancellation terms, assignment restrictions, late-payment remedies, specification changes, handover standards and defect procedures. Ask what happens if either party misses a deadline.
Test the payment plan
Convert every milestone into AED and USD, including the reservation, construction installments, handover balance and post-handover obligations. A low monthly installment can hide a large balloon payment or concentrated completion exposure.
Verify the advertised property
Compare the written unit number, floor, orientation, internal area, balcony, parking, view, furnishing package and amenity rights with the floor plan and contract. Do not assume a show unit or rendering describes the purchased home.
Model the exit
Estimate service charges, furnishing, vacancy, management, resale restrictions and future competing supply before relying on an advertised return. Stress-test rent and resale timing rather than using only the developer's headline scenario.
Use this guide in a real property comparison
Apply the questions to two or three written unit offers. Record the source date, total cash schedule, recurring costs, completion evidence and contract restrictions for each property. Marketing estimates are not substitutes for unit-level documents.
Questions to ask before moving forward
- What primary source verifies this claim and when was it updated?
- What is the complete cash requirement and payment timing?
- What could reduce projected net income or resale demand?
- Which contract terms restrict cancellation, assignment or resale?
- Which facts remain estimates rather than written obligations?