How to Buy a Ready Property in Dubai: Quick Step-by-Step Guide

1. Choose a ready property (completed apartment) in a building that has already been handed over. Browse listings on platforms such as propertyfinder.ae or bayut.com and verify that the apartment is located in a freehold area suitable for foreign ownership.
2. Contact the agent listed in the advertisement and confirm the unit’s availability. Schedule a viewing or request a detailed video tour showing the apartment number, the corridor, and the actual view from the unit to ensure the listing is genuine.
3. Request the broker’s documents: their RERA Broker Card and the agency’s ORN number. Verify both the agent and the agency through the official Dubai Land Department portal: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/licensed-real-estate-brokers/licensed-real-estate-brokers-list/#/. If the agent does not appear in the official registry, do not proceed with the transaction.
4. After verification, the agent will ask for your passport (and Emirates ID, if you have one) and will prepare “Contract B.” This is the official agreement between the buyer and the broker that outlines the brokerage terms and commission.
5. Issue a deposit cheque (typically 10% of the property price) in the name of the seller. The cheque is held by the broker or the Trustee Office until the transfer date and serves as confirmation of the buyer’s seriousness.
6. The seller’s agent will prepare “Contract F,” the main sale and purchase agreement for ready properties in Dubai. You will receive a link to sign it electronically through the DLD / Dubai REST system.
7. After signing Contract F, the agent will schedule a transfer appointment at a Trustee Office (a government-licensed real estate transaction office). Both buyer and seller attend, documents are verified, payments are processed, and ownership is officially transferred.
8. At the transfer, you will pay the required fees: DLD fee (4% of the property price), agency commission (usually 2%), Trustee fee (approximately AED 5,000), and administrative charges. Keep in mind that the final cost of buying a ready property in Dubai typically increases by 7–8% above the advertised price due to these mandatory fees.
9. After receiving your Title Deed, register and activate essential utilities such as DEWA (water and electricity), district cooling (if applicable), and pay your annual service charges for building maintenance and community services.

Before you accept the keys of a new unit, walk it with our 110-point snagging checklist or book a snagging inspection: fixed prices from 749 AED, report within 24 hours.

Paying from Russia: the working transfer routes, timing, bank paperwork and the reasons payments bounce are covered in Money transfer from Russia to the UAE for a property purchase.