Finance guide
When you finance a Dubai purchase, the number that decides how much you can borrow isn't the asking price — it's the bank's valuation. Here's how valuers reach it, what a low number does to your cash, and how to protect the deal.
Your loan-to-value is applied to the bank's valuation, not the price you agreed. If you offer AED 2.0M but the valuer says AED 1.9M, the bank sizes the mortgage off 1.9M — and you cover the AED 100k gap in cash on top of your deposit.
Recent comparable transactions in the same building/community, the unit's size, floor, view and condition, and current market trends. Off-plan handovers and unique units are harder to comp and can swing more.
The buyer's bank instructs a RERA-approved valuer once your mortgage application is in motion; the buyer typically pays the valuation fee (a few thousand dirham). It happens before final loan approval, so it can reshape the deal late.
If the valuation comes in low, you can pay the difference in cash, renegotiate the price with evidence, or — if your MOU allows — withdraw. Knowing the comps before you offer is the best defence.
The lender keeps its loan-to-value ratio; a low valuation simply means you fund more of the purchase yourself. Budget a cash buffer above the headline deposit.
Valuers lean on recent sales in the same tower/community. Bring your own comparable evidence to the negotiation — it's the language both the valuer and the seller respond to.
Thin comparable data on new handovers or one-of-a-kind units widens the valuation range. Expect more variance and plan a larger contingency.
It lands before final approval. Line up your comps and a cash buffer early so a surprise number doesn't collapse the timeline.