How we sold an apartment in Skyz by Danube: data from DLD and real deals

ANALYTICAL REPORT ON 1BR IN SKYZ BY DANUBE (SKYZ BY DANUBE, Marsa Dubai as per DLD classification)

1. General overview: liquidity and deal structure

– According to the open database of the DLD (Dubai Land Department), 986 sale and purchase transactions are registered under the building name SKYZ BY DANUBE, of which 382 are for 1BR (1 b/r) apartments.
– In the rental contract table (DLD_rent_contracts), there are no active lease agreements recorded either for this specific building or at the project level, which is typical for new buildings just entering the market (off-plan).
– Short-term takeaway: the asset shows high liquidity at the sales stage (active booking), a typical situation for new projects in Marsa Dubai (Dubai Marina in market terminology).

2. Dynamics of transaction frequency and average prices for the building

– 1BR units in SKYZ BY DANUBE were sold in the largest batches during 2022 (at the peak — 112/97/83 deals in the first three quarters), after which volumes declined as the main pool of primary inventory was absorbed (isolated transactions in 2023–2024).
– Average price per m² for 1BR apartments by quarter:
– 2022: from 12,725 to 12,972 AED/m².
– 2023: minor fluctuations around 12,291–12,958 AED/m².
– 2024: accelerated growth to 14,019–14,521 AED/m² (last 12 months — 14,529 AED/m², 23 transactions).
– Size dispersion over the last 2 years: the majority of units are 51–53 m², with deals clustering around the average price.
– Important: for such a “new build”, sales statistics mainly reflect developer sale and purchase contracts (sometimes with tranche payments; only a small portion are resales on the secondary market).

3. Market benchmarks for the area (Marsa Dubai, in DLD classification)

– Average price per m² for 1BR over the last 12 months across all of Marsa Dubai (Dubai Marina): 26,392 AED/m² (based on 3,493 transactions).
– This is 1.8 times higher than in SKYZ BY DANUBE (relative to its “paper” average of 14,529 AED/m²), which may be explained by the project’s positioning as a more budget/mass-market product within the area, or by the difference between off-plan pricing and market resale prices.

4. Rental market: absence of DLD data for the building

– As of the date of this report, the DLD has no registered leases for SKYZ BY DANUBE (contract_count = 0).
– At the master-project level Dubai Marina (over 13,000 contracts over the last 12 months for all residential asset classes), the average annual rental rate is 1,238 AED/m².
– At the administrative area level Marsa Dubai: 1,300 AED/m² over the last 12 months (across 17,883 contracts); demand structure is stable and the sample size is very large.

5. Rental rate dynamics in the area over 3–5 years

– Average rental rate in Marsa Dubai by quarter:
– In 2020: started at ~850–700 AED/m², with steady growth.
– In 2022: 870–1,008 AED/m².
– In 2023: 1,187–1,261 AED/m² (some dips, reflecting seasonality/macroeconomic factors).
– In 2024: 1,173–1,282+ AED/m², with the trend continuing.
– The current rental market level is stable; the data is objective and representative for 1BR units.

6. Gross and net yield (ROI)

– For the building SKYZ BY DANUBE itself, it is not possible to calculate a reliable ROI based on DLD data: in 2023–2024 there is not a single registered rental contract, so a formal yield assessment is impossible.
– At the Marsa Dubai area level:
– Average rent_psm_12m_area = 1,300 AED/m² (rental).
– Average price_psm_12m_area = 26,392 AED/m² (sales).
– Indicative ROI_brutto_area = 1,300 / 26,392 = 4.9% per annum (gross, based on the last 12 months).
– Yield after accounting for associated costs (ROI_net_area ≈ 4.9% / 1.07 ≈ 4.6%) is below Dubai’s “gold standard” for investors (7–8% per annum.
– Fair investment price range: to achieve a 7–8% ROI while keeping current area rental rates, the purchase price should be 16,250–18,570 AED/m² (1,300/0.08 to 1,300/0.07) — noticeably below the area’s average transaction price and significantly above the level seen in SKYZ BY DANUBE.

7. Conclusions and recommendations

– Sales liquidity for the building is high (especially at launch in 2022), but there is no actual rental activity at the time of this report (the building is off-plan or has only recently been handed over).
– Primary market prices for 1BR in SKYZ BY DANUBE have grown from 12,700 to 14,500+ AED/m² over two years, yet this level is still noticeably below the wider area, which may be a positive factor for future resales after occupancy.
– Real investment yield calculations can only be made at the area level (Marsa Dubai): ROI of 4.9% at the current balance of prices and rents, which is significantly below the expectations of an average market investor and requires either further rental growth or a substantial discount at purchase (down to 16,500–18,500 AED/m² for a 7–8% ROI).
– For a potential investor: entry into a 1BR in SKYZ BY DANUBE is at a price currently below the area average, but the actual yield will only become clear once a stable rental track record is established in the building. At present, there are no rental statistics for this asset.
– The Marsa Dubai market structure is stable; rental demand for apartments is the strongest across the entire beachfront segment of Dubai, and rental rates are steadily increasing.

Top-level disclaimer:
All price levels, ROI figures and “fair” ranges are based on ACTUAL DLD data and do not constitute an individual valuation of any specific apartment.

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