Dubai-based · RERA-licensed · Personal property selection
Dubai property selected around your goals, not developer sales targets.
Work directly with Yulia Zabara. You’ll get a personal shortlist with current prices, payment plans, total buying costs, net-yield scenarios, and a plain explanation of the risks.
“I’ll tell you whether Dubai property fits your goals right now. If the answer is no, I’ll say so.”
Start here
What are you trying to do?
Pick the closest match. It shapes the quiz below, not the marketing copy.
Updated regularly, not once
Where the market actually is
-31%
Transaction volume, Q2 2026 vs Q2 2025
-45%
Transaction value, Q2 2026 vs Q2 2025
-59%
Secondary-market deals, year on year
-10%
ValuStrat VPI, since 28 Feb 2026
-68.5%
New project launches, H1 year on year
+14%
Sales above $10m, H1 year on year
Ultra-prime ($10m+)
Still setting records
296 sales above $10m in H1 2026, worth $5.1bn. That's up 14% year on year and up 49% versus H1 2024, including 26 sales above $25m.
Villas
Roughly flat to slightly up
Villas were still +2% year on year on the ValuStrat index in June 2026, while apartments were −3% over the same period.
Investor studios & one-beds
Under the most pressure
This segment holds 66% of the construction pipeline, concentrated in five districts that hold 45% of everything under construction. Those are the same districts agents push hardest to yield-driven investors.
Sources: Betterhomes (1 Jul 2026), ValuStrat (1 Jun 2026), Cavendish Maxwell (via AGBI) (10 Jul 2026), Knight Frank (15 Jul 2026)
Read the full market breakdown →The thing nobody explains
Why one report shows growth while another shows a decline
CBRE reported Q2 2026 prices up 1.9% year on year. Savills, covering the same quarter, reported down 5–7% like-for-like, with some locations down 10%. Knight Frank put the mainstream adjustment at 5–20% depending on location. All three can be correct at once.
Knight Frank
−5% to −20% by location
Source: Knight Frank (15 Jul 2026)
Headline indices are pulled upward by mix. The share of expensive off-plan registrations rose in the quarter, and that lifts the average even where a specific unit is worth less than it was in February.
Repeat-sales measures track the same unit sold twice, and those are negative. Off-plan units on resale were trading 10 to 15% below their original purchase price by June 2026, and by late May there were AED 2.36bn of advertised price reductions across 3,292 listings.
Like-for-like and headline-average figures are answering different questions. Neither report is wrong.
The tool almost no other Dubai site publishes
Net rental yield, after real costs
Every brokerage quotes gross yield. Service charges alone run from roughly AED 2.44 to AED 68 per sq ft a year, depending on the building, and that gap is where your return actually goes.
Auto-filled at 7.50% gross for this district. Edit it if you have a real comparable
Net yield on purchase price
5.48%
Advertised gross: 7.50% · gap of 2.02 pp
Sensitivity band
Conservative
4.7%
Base
5.5%
Optimistic
6.0%
This is a sensitivity range, not a forecast. Conservative widens vacancy by 5pp and cuts rent 7%; optimistic tightens vacancy by 3pp and adds 5% to rent.
Gross yields: Bayut Dubai Sales Market Report H1 2026. Service charges: DLD/RERA index via Driven Properties. This isn't investment advice. The figures are estimates, not guarantees.
A short list, not a portal
Currently on the desk
A handful of projects I'm reviewing right now, including what's still unconfirmed. This isn't a catalogue of everything for sale in Dubai.
The Valley: townhouses & villas
The Valley (Dubai, off Al Ain Road) · off plan
A family-oriented Emaar community built around a central park, with several sub-phases (Velora 2, Farm Grove, Elva, Avena 2, Farm Gardens 2, Venera) sold as townhouses and villas. Emaar's marketing describes most earlier phases as sold out, with these among the final plots before a wider public launch.
From
$676,000
Handover
Q4 2029
Beds
3–5 bedrooms (townhouses and villas)
Emaar The Oasis: villas
The Oasis (Dubai) · off plan
A waterfront villa community by Emaar. An earlier version of this site linked this project's page to The Valley's content by mistake, and that error isn't repeated here. Villa-specific pricing, floor plans and payment structure haven't been independently reconfirmed for this launch, so they're marked pending below rather than copied over from a source I don't trust.
From
TBC
Handover
To be confirmed
Beds
Villas, exact configurations pending confirmation
PASSO: Palm Jumeirah beachfront residences
Palm Jumeirah · off plan
Twin 15-storey beachfront towers on Palm Jumeirah's West Crescent, with 1, 2 and 4-bedroom layouts, private beach access and full-floor penthouse options. The previous version of this site attributed PASSO to Omniyat. The developer of record is BEYOND Developments. That correction, and the developer name generally, still needs independent reconfirmation against the current Oqood/Trakheesi listing before I'd call it settled.
From
$1,100,000
Handover
H1 2029
Beds
1, 2 and 4 bedrooms, plus full-floor penthouses
Published assessments, including the ones that cost commission
What's worth exploring, and what isn't
An agency selling a project can't publish a negative review of it. That's why this section exists. These are expert assessments, built on the methodology and data below, not personalised financial advice.
Studios and one-beds in JVC, Dubai South, Business Bay, MBR City and Dubailand
These five districts hold 45% of everything currently under construction in Dubai. Studios and one-bedrooms make up 66% of that pipeline, which happens to be the exact unit type agents push hardest to yield-driven investors.
Read the full assessment →Only on the right termsOff-plan payment plans with calendar-linked instalments
A calendar-linked plan means you pay on a fixed date whether or not construction has reached that stage. A construction-linked plan ties your payment to a verified building milestone instead, which is a lot lower risk for the same unit.
Read the full assessment →Worth exploringVillas in established communities (Dubai Hills Estate, Arabian Ranches)
Villas were still up 2% year on year on the ValuStrat index in June 2026, while apartments were down 3% over the same period. Two different markets, moving in two different directions, inside the same city.
Read the full assessment →How a project actually gets screened
What actually gets checked before a project earns a place here
- Net yield modelled after real service charges, not the advertised gross figure
- Developer delivery history on comparable projects
- Supply-risk score for the district it sits in
- Payment plan structure: construction-linked or calendar-linked
- What got screened out, and the specific reason why
No flight required for most of this
Buying from abroad, step by step
Most of the process can be done remotely, including by power of attorney. A couple of steps do benefit from being in Dubai, and they're marked below rather than glossed over.
- STEP 1Fully remote
Goal & budget
A short conversation or the quiz below to fix the goal, budget and timeline.
- STEP 2Fully remote
Personal shortlist
Matched properties with current prices, payment plans and net-yield estimates.
- STEP 3Fully remote
Compare & verify
Side-by-side comparison, plus BRN/Trakheesi/escrow checks on anything you're serious about.
- STEP 4Fully remote
Reservation & documents
Reservation form and buyer documents (passport copy, proof of funds/source of funds).
- STEP 5Mostly remote
Payment & registration
Funds move to the developer's or conveyancer's escrow account; DLD registers the title.
- STEP 6Mostly remote
Handover, management & tenant support
Snagging, utilities set-up, and ongoing rental management if you want it.
Before you talk to anyone, including me
How to check that the person advising you is real
Dubai has more than 12,000 registered brokers, and the regulator fined 256 of them for advertising violations in a single six-month period. Verification takes under a minute.
Ask for the BRN
Every licensed broker has a RERA Broker Registration Number. Mine is 88058. If someone won't give you theirs, that conversation is over.
Check the Trakheesi permit
Every advertisement must display one. Check it via the Dubai REST app, or by SMS to 6655, and you'll get the property, the agent, the brokerage and the permit's expiry. Permits typically last 60 days.
Confirm the escrow account
For off-plan, every dirham must pass through a project-specific RERA-approved escrow account. Ask for the account details and the project registration number directly.
Know what escrow doesn't do
It is not a guarantee of your principal. Refunds come from what remains in the escrow account, which can be less than you paid if funds were legitimately drawn down for construction.
Source: Oliva (1 Jun 2025)
Before you ask
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner buy property in Dubai?
Yes. Dubai has designated freehold areas where non-UAE nationals can own property outright, including most of the areas and projects referenced on this site. Ownership is registered with the Dubai Land Department.
Can I buy remotely, without visiting Dubai?
Yes, for most of the process. See /buy-from-abroad for the step-by-step breakdown of what can be done remotely, including by power of attorney, and where an in-person step genuinely helps.
What costs come on top of the purchase price?
Typically a 4% DLD registration fee, broker commission (paid by the developer on many primary-market deals, or by the buyer on secondary-market deals), and admin or registration costs, roughly 7% all-in as a starting estimate. Since 1 February 2025 these can't be added to a mortgage, so they're a cash requirement on top of your deposit. The net-yield calculator shows this as its own line.
What does '0% commission' actually mean?
On selected primary-market (developer or off-plan) purchases, the developer pays the broker's fee instead of the buyer. It doesn't mean there are no costs at all. The DLD fee and other transaction costs still apply, and secondary-market purchases typically carry a buyer-side commission.
How is net yield calculated?
Gross annual rent, minus service charges (AED per sq ft, from the DLD/RERA-linked index), vacancy allowance, management fee and a maintenance reserve, divided by either the purchase price or total capital deployed including acquisition costs. See /tools/net-yield for the full working calculator and formula.
What are the main risks with off-plan purchases?
Construction and handover-delay risk, the gap between construction-linked and calendar-linked payment milestones, developer track record, and supply-concentration risk in the specific district. See /market and /verdicts for the current read on where that risk sits.
How is a developer verified?
Check the project's Trakheesi/Oqood registration and RERA escrow account, and look at the developer's track record on prior handover timing rather than their brochure. The verification section on this page walks through the exact steps.
What happens if handover is delayed?
That depends on the specific sale and purchase agreement and the developer's track record. It's worth reviewing before you reserve, not after. Ask for the developer's handover-delay history on comparable projects.
Does buying property automatically give me a Golden Visa?
No. Property ownership from AED 2,000,000 may allow an investor to apply for a renewable UAE Golden Residence, subject to current eligibility and documentation requirements at the time of application. It's not automatic on purchase.
Do I still pay tax in my own country?
Usually, yes. The UAE generally doesn't levy an annual property tax or tax rental income for individuals, but most buyers stay taxable on rental income and gains in their country of tax residence. See the country pages (/uk, /us, /de, /fr) for jurisdiction-specific detail, and confirm your own position with a qualified local adviser.
How quickly does Yulia respond?
I don't publish a response-time figure or claim on this site, because I don't have a verified, currently-measured number to stand behind. If you'd like to test it, message me on WhatsApp.
What's included in a personal shortlist?
Properties matched to the goal, budget and timeline from your quiz answers, with current prices where available, payment plan structure, total buying costs and a net-yield estimate for each. Where relevant, I'll also explain why something didn't make the list.
About a minute
Get a straight read on your situation
This isn't a lead form pretending to be a quiz. Your answers change what I tell you, and for some combinations, the honest answer is that now isn't the right time.
Where are you tax resident?
This changes the maths more than the property does.