How to research a Dubai property developer

When you buy off-plan, you are not really buying a property. You are buying a developer's promise to build one. That makes developer research the most important work you will do — and it is work almost nobody does properly.

Delivery record

The single most useful question: what have they completed, and when did they complete it relative to the date originally announced?

Look for:

• Number of completed projects
• Original announced handover dates versus actual handover
• Whether delays were isolated or systematic
• How they communicated during delays

A developer with a long record of delivering close to schedule is a meaningfully different proposition from one with two projects and a lot of marketing.

Build and finish quality

Visit completed buildings if you can, or arrange for someone to. If not, look at owner and resident discussion of their existing stock rather than at their brochures.

Questions worth answering:

• How have their five-year-old buildings aged?
• What is the standard of common areas and lifts?
• How is snagging handled at handover?
• What do the finishes actually look like versus the show unit?

Escrow and payment protection

Off-plan payments in Dubai operate within an escrow framework. Confirm specifically:

• Which escrow account your payments go into
• How drawdowns work
• What documentation you receive for each payment
• What the position is if the project does not proceed

Never make a payment to an account you have not verified.

Registration and regulatory status

Confirm that the project is properly registered and that the seller is appropriately licensed. This is basic, verifiable, and skipped surprisingly often.

Service charges in their existing buildings

A developer's completed buildings tell you what your service charges may look like. High charges, poor maintenance or disputes in existing stock are relevant to a new project by the same developer.

The contract

Read it, and have it reviewed by an appropriate professional. Focus on:

• The payment schedule and what triggers each instalment
• Delay provisions and remedies
• Specification and what can be varied
• Resale restrictions before handover
• Termination provisions on both sides
• Fees payable at handover

If a term is unclear, get clarification in writing before signing, not after.

Questions to ask before paying a deposit

• What is the escrow account and how do I verify it?
• What is your delivery record on the last three projects?
• What exactly happens if handover is delayed by twelve months?
• What is the expected service charge per square foot, and how was it calculated?
• What fees will I pay at each stage, itemised?
• Can I resell before handover, on what terms, and at what cost?
• What is the specification, and which elements can change?

Warning signs

• Pressure to commit quickly
• Reluctance to provide documentation in writing
• Guaranteed returns or guaranteed visa claims
• Vague answers on escrow
• A track record consisting entirely of announcements

None of these individually means the project is bad. All of them mean slow down.