Get an Expert Consultation

Guide

How to check an off-plan developer before you reserve

Judge a developer on evidence you can check rather than on marketing.

Get an Expert Consultation Start with the Checklist
Dubai property adverts
Need a DLD permit via Trakheesi
Dubai escrow
One account per off-plan project
Abu Dhabi off-plan sales
Need approved disclosure statement
RAK developer registration
RAK RERA registers developers

Choosing a developer 01

Six checks on a developer before you reserve

  1. A project escrow account

    Dubai requires a separate escrow account for each off-plan project, and Abu Dhabi requires one per project and phase. Ask for the account details in the developer's documents.

  2. The seller entity

    Projects are often held in separate companies. A market directory lists BEYOND projects under several project companies, so confirm which entity signs your SPA and owns the escrow account.

  3. Completed comparable projects

    Ask for finished buildings of the same type and scale. Binghatti launched its first villa community in May 2026, so its completed record is in apartments. Ellington has launched several RAK projects, so ask for a completed Ellington building there before relying on its RAK record.

  4. Registration with the regulator

    Dubai's RERA sits within the Dubai Land Department and oversees escrow and licensing; in Ras Al Khaimah, RAK RERA registers developers and projects. Market directories show DLD developer numbers, for example Binghatti Developers FZE as no. 1051; confirm the number on official records.

  5. An advertising permit

    Dubai adverts need a DLD permit through Trakheesi, Abu Dhabi uses a DARI permit with a QR code, and RAK developers need written permission from RAK RERA.

  6. Disclosure documents

    In Abu Dhabi, off-plan sales require an approved disclosure statement among other conditions. Elsewhere, ask for the project documentation behind the marketing.

Choosing a developer 02

Six questions to put to the developer or its agent

  1. 01

    Which company is the seller?

    Ask for the legal name on the SPA and check it matches the project registration and escrow account.

  2. 02

    Where is the escrow account?

    Ask for the bank and account name, and confirm them against the developer's official documents.

  3. 03

    What has this developer completed that is like this?

    Ask for finished buildings of the same type, size and location, and look at them or their handover records.

  4. 04

    Who is building it?

    Ask whether construction is in-house or by an appointed main contractor, and who that contractor is.

  5. 05

    What does the SPA say about delay?

    Ask how the completion date is defined, what grace period applies and what remedies you have.

  6. 06

    What will service charges be?

    Ask for an estimate and compare it with completed buildings on official indexes where available.

Expert consultation

Find the UAE home that fits your plans.

Get an Expert Consultation Get a Second Opinion Before You Commit

Choosing a developer 03

What public financial record exists for each of the eight

Not a credit ranking. Sukuk profit rates are the company's borrowing cost, never a return to property buyers.
DeveloperPublic financial recordWhat it gives a buyer
BinghattiSukuk listed on Nasdaq Dubai from March 2024; the developer states its listings reached USD 1.5bn in November 2025Periodic results releases and agency ratings aimed at debt investors
SobhaSukuk listed on Nasdaq Dubai: USD 300m in July 2023 plus a USD 230m tap in September 2024Ratings reported at listing; privately held, with no full audited accounts published
DAMACDelisted from the Dubai Financial Market in 2022; a USD 750m sukuk priced in 2025 and listed on Euronext Dublin (reported)Sukuk documents and ratings are the main public financial window
NakheelIncorporated into Dubai Holding by order of the Ruler of Dubai on 16 March 2024Government-linked ownership, which does not guarantee any individual project
Imtiaz, BEYOND, EllingtonNo listed equity, bond, sukuk or ratingFewer public financial disclosures, so project-level checks carry more weight
MeraasNo bond, sukuk or credit rating. Its parent, Dubai Holding, listed the Dubai Residential REIT on the Dubai Financial Market in May 2025Little company-level financial data, so check each project's escrow account and the developer's handover record

Choosing a developer 04

Read developer figures for what they actually count

Releases mix delivered, planned and pipeline numbers, so read the verb. Sobha states that 6,819 units are set for handover in 2026, which is a plan rather than a delivery count. DAMAC states that 8,800 units are being handed over in Dubai in 2026, and the wording does not say whether all of them have already been handed over.

Counts also move between releases. Binghatti referred to over 50 developments delivered in March 2026 and to nearly 60 completed developments in its H1 2026 results. Neither figure is an official count, so check completion building by building against DLD or RERA project status.

Parent and brand figures are not interchangeable. OMNIYAT, the group behind BEYOND, states it has delivered 18 projects; a market directory lists BEYOND's own projects with none yet completed. Masterplan areas and development values describe plans, not delivered scale.

What you can hold us to

Six commitments behind every consultation.

A purchase this size deserves someone who shows you the full picture, including what could go wrong, before you commit a deposit.

How the firm is paid, and why it matters to you

  1. Every cost before you commit

    Total price, registration fees and each payment stage, set out in your own currency before you pay anything.

  2. Honest about fit

    Up to three options, and fewer if fewer fit. If off-plan does not suit your plans, you are told plainly.

  3. A second opinion on any offer

    Bring an offer from a developer or another agent and have its cost, payment plan and contract points checked before you commit.

  4. Told how the firm is paid

    Before you decide on anything, including whether a developer on your shortlist pays the firm.

  5. Checks before you see a home

    Registration, the project escrow account, the developer’s record and a current price, checked before a home reaches you.

  6. Your time, your privacy

    Video, phone, WhatsApp or email in your time zone. Your details are used only to reply, and launch emails only if you ask.

How it works 05

Three steps, no obligation.

No account, no fee, no pressure to proceed. You decide whether to go further.

  1. 01

    Share your requirements

    Your contact details, then property type, price range, emirate, objective and timeframe. It takes about two minutes, and no financial documents are needed.

  2. 02

    Review suitable options

    Up to three opportunities, each with its costs, payment timings, the reasons it was selected and what to consider. If fewer fit, you get fewer.

  3. 03

    Discuss next steps

    Talk to an adviser about the options, what to verify independently and what reserving involves. There is no pressure to proceed.

Questions 06

Answers before you share any details.

If your question is not answered here, an adviser can go through it with you during a consultation.

Not automatically. Listed sukuk and ratings mean more financial information is public, which helps you do your checks, but they do not guarantee that any individual project will be delivered on time. Judge each project on its registration, escrow and SPA.

Ask the developer for a list of finished buildings of the same type, then check their completion status against official DLD or RERA project records where available. Treat totals in press releases as developer-stated until confirmed.

No. Nakheel became part of Dubai Holding by order of the Ruler of Dubai in March 2024, but ownership does not guarantee any specific project or date. The same project-level checks apply.

Not necessarily, but you will have less evidence to rely on. BEYOND, for example, was launched in 2024 by OMNIYAT GROUP, and a market directory lists none of its own projects as completed yet. Weigh the parent group's record separately from the brand's.

Expert consultation

Get a second opinion before you commit.

Share the offer you have. An adviser goes through the total cost, the payment plan and what to check before you pay a booking deposit.

  • Every cost and payment stage set out
  • Why each option was chosen, and what to weigh
  • Free, with no obligation

You asked for a second opinion on an offer you have Ask for something else

How to reach you

Your details are saved when you press Continue, so an adviser can still help if you stop part-way.

Enter your name.

Choose your country of residence.

Preferred contact method

Choose how you would like to be contacted.

Enter a valid email address.

Enter a phone number with country code.

Please confirm you have read the privacy information.

The offer you have

Share what you know. Anything left blank can be covered on the call.

Enter the project name.

Property type

Choose a property type.

Payment plan offered: paid during construction / on or after handover (optional)
Booking deposit due (optional)
Offered by (optional)
Anything else

This helps an adviser prepare before speaking to you.

Why you are buying (optional)

Enter your message.

Please do not send passport copies, bank details or payment information.

Keep exploring

Read before you decide

Get an Expert Consultation