Finance guide
Most Dubai purchase problems are avoidable with a handful of checks: who really owns it, what's registered against it, whether the charges are clear, and whether the developer and broker are licensed. Here's the verification list — and where deals actually go wrong.
Ask for the DLD title deed and confirm the seller named on it is the person you're dealing with (or holds a valid POA). The deed states the property, the owner, and the tenure (freehold vs leasehold). Cross-check IDs against the deed.
A unit can carry a registered mortgage or other charge. The title deed and a DLD status check reveal it. A mortgaged property can still be sold, but the loan must be settled and discharged for title to transfer — that changes the timeline and the money flow.
Unpaid service charges block the developer NOC and transfer. Request a statement from the owners' association / developer showing the account is clear (or will be settled to the transfer date).
For off-plan, check the project and developer are registered with RERA and the escrow account exists. For any deal, the broker should be RERA-registered (a valid BRN). Unregistered parties are a red flag.
The MOU (Form F) sets price, who pays what, and the timeline; the SPA governs off-plan. For apartments, the owners'-association rules and the service-charge budget tell you the real running cost. Read before signing, not after.
Ownership, tenure, and charges live on the Dubai Land Department register — not in the listing. Verify against the DLD, in person or via the official channels/trustee, before money moves.
Plenty of resale units are financed. The deal just needs the seller's loan discharged as part of the transfer — build the bank's release timeline into the schedule.
Service-charge debt is the classic last-minute blocker. Get the association statement early so the developer NOC isn't held up.
Funds belong at a registration trustee office (resale) or a RERA escrow account (off-plan). Anyone steering you to pay them directly, off-record, is the warning sign to walk away.