How to check a Dubai property price before you buy
A ten-minute check of any asking price against registered Dubai Land Department sales — before you negotiate, sign a form, or pay a deposit.
The ten-minute check
Every Dubai sale is registered with the Dubai Land Department. That record — not the listing price — is what the market actually paid. Here is how to use it.
- Get the price per sq ft. Asking price ÷ area in sq ft. Ask for the registered (title deed or Oqood) area, not the developer's "saleable" or "built-up" figure — a bigger stated area makes the same price look cheaper.
- Compare it with registered sales. Run the free offer check: area, property type, size and price. It shows where your price per sq ft sits against every registered sale of the same kind of home in the same area this year, with the middle-50% band drawn in.
- Match the status. Ready and off-plan are different markets. Judge a resale against ready sales and a launch against off-plan sales — never one against the other.
- Adjust for what the data cannot see. Building quality, floor, view, condition, furniture and parking all move value within the band. A price above the band needs a reason you can name.
- Cross-check with rent. Annual rent ÷ price is the gross yield. If it lands far below the area's registered yield figure, the price — not the rent — is the likely problem.
- Negotiate with the printout. Download the PDF report from the offer check and put it in front of the agent. Registered sales end arguments that opinions cannot.
What a fair price looks like
The offer check draws every registered sale in the area as a dot and shades the middle 50% — the band where most buyers actually paid.
- Inside the band: a normal market price. Your edge now comes from the unit itself and the terms.
- Above the band: you are paying more than most buyers did for the same kind of home nearby. Ask what justifies it — view, floor, fit-out — and negotiate from the data if nothing does.
- Below the band: genuinely cheap, or something is wrong — condition, a distressed seller, a service-charge problem, or a catch in the contract. Find out which before you celebrate.
Red flags worth walking away from
- Priced far above the registered band with no view, floor or fit-out reason.
- "Today only" pressure before you have seen the registered comparisons.
- Off-plan priced per sq ft like a ready home you could rent out tomorrow.
- The agent cannot or will not state the registered area and the service charge.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check registered sales for a Dubai property?
Every Dubai sale is registered with the Dubai Land Department. DLD publishes the records as open data and shows recent transactions in the Dubai REST app. The free offer check on this site does the comparison for you: enter the area, type, size and asking price and it shows where the price per sq ft sits against registered sales of the same kind of home in the same area.
What is a fair price per sq ft in Dubai?
It depends entirely on the area and whether the unit is ready or off-plan. In 2026 registered sales, median ready-flat prices across the 15 communities profiled here ranged from about AED 978 per sq ft in Dubai Sports City to AED 2,651 on Palm Jumeirah. A fair price for a specific flat is one that sits inside the band of recent registered sales for that area and type, adjusted for the building, floor, view and condition.
Are off-plan prices negotiable in Dubai?
Developer launch prices are usually fixed, but the package around them often is not: DLD fee waivers, payment-plan timing, furniture and post-handover terms can all move. Resale of an off-plan contract before handover (an assignment) is a normal resale and negotiable like one. Compare the launch price with registered ready sales nearby before assuming off-plan is cheaper.
Does the floor or view change what a flat is worth?
Yes, sometimes by a large amount, and registered-sales bands do not capture it. A high-floor marina view and a low-floor car-park view can both sit inside the same area band. Use the band as the anchor, then ask what justifies any premium above it: view, floor, fit-out, furniture, parking or a rare layout. If nothing justifies it, negotiate or walk away.