Off-plan due diligence checklist

1. Verify the developer and project

Use the Dubai REST app to confirm the developer is registered and the project exists with its registration details. Check that the project has an escrow account and note the account details shown. Our step-by-step guide is how to verify a developer on Dubai REST. Look up the developer's completed communities in person if you can — visiting finished buildings tells you more than a sales gallery.

2. How is your money protected?

Off-plan payments should go into the project's regulated escrow account, not to a sales company, agent or individual. Match the account name and number on your payment instructions to the escrow details. Get an official receipt for each payment. See RERA escrow accounts explained.

3. Read the SPA, not the brochure

Key clauses to read with care:

• Anticipated completion date and what happens if it is delayed
• Developer's right to change specifications, layout or area, and any tolerance on unit size
• Payment schedule, late-payment penalties and termination for default
• Resale or assignment conditions before handover (selling or assigning off-plan)
• Service-charge estimates and who pays before handover
• Handover, snagging and defect procedures (snagging checklist)

Consider independent legal review for large commitments.

4. Stress-test the payment plan

Map every instalment against your expected cash, with a buffer. Include the 4% DLD fee (usually collected early for Oqood registration), admin fees and the handover payment. If you plan to use a mortgage at handover, check which banks lend on the project and that you will qualify then. Our off-plan payment plans guide explains structures.

5. Check the people and the advert

Confirm your agent's RERA registration (how to check a licensed agent) and that the advert carries a valid Madmoun QR code. Be wary of guaranteed returns, pressure to pay a deposit the same day, or requests to transfer to non-escrow accounts.

6. Plan the exit before you enter

Decide now whether you will live in, let or sell — and what happens if the market or your circumstances change during construction. Understand resale conditions before handover, the likely rental demand at completion, and service charges once the building runs. For the bigger choice, read off-plan vs ready property and best areas to invest.

7. Check the location and what will surround it

Off-plan buyers are buying a future place, not just a unit. Look at the master plan: what is planned next to the building, which roads and amenities already exist, and what depends on future phases. Visit the site and the surrounding community at different times. Ask the developer which facilities are committed in the SPA and which are only shown in marketing material. Compare similar completed buildings nearby to understand likely rental demand and service charges after handover. Our area guides are a starting point.

What are the common off-plan mistakes?

• Reserving at a launch event under time pressure
• Trusting a brochure's completion date as a promise
• Paying into an account that is not the project escrow
• Ignoring the handover payment and service charges in the cash-flow plan
• Assuming you can resell before handover without checking SPA conditions
• Treating projected rents or returns from sales material as fact