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Practical guides on WhatsApp, lead response and CRM for Dubai brokerages. Real numbers, no fluff.
Tend Resources
Practical guides on WhatsApp, lead response and CRM for Dubai brokerages. Real numbers, no fluff.
Dubai property transactions use a specific vocabulary: Oqood is the DLD's register for off-plan units, an EOI is a refundable pre-launch reservation, the SPA is the binding sale contract, and Ejari registers tenancy contracts. The DLD is the land registry; RERA is its regulator.
Every term a Dubai buyer, tenant or agent encounters, defined in one sentence and then explained. Each definition stands alone — skip to the term you need.
Figures are current as of 2026 and sourced to the Dubai Land Department where quoted. This is reference material, not legal advice.
The Dubai Land Department is the government body that owns the property register for the emirate. It records every sale, transfer, mortgage and lease, approves developer projects, and issues the Title Deed that proves ownership.
If a transaction is not registered with the DLD, it does not legally exist. This is the single most important fact in Dubai property.
The Real Estate Regulatory Agency is the regulator that sits under the DLD. It licenses brokers and developers, sets the rules for escrow accounts and service charges, and enforces them.
The distinction is simple: the DLD is the registry, RERA is the rulebook. Broker licences, tenancy rules and off-plan escrow requirements are all RERA's remit.
Dubai REST is the DLD's official mobile app. It lets anyone verify a broker's licence, view their own title deeds, check a project's registration and pay service charges.
For a buyer, its most useful function is verifying that the agent in front of them actually holds a valid RERA licence — which takes about ten seconds and is worth doing every time.
Mollak is RERA's system for owners' association accounts and service charges. Developers and property managers must submit audited service charge budgets for RERA approval before they can bill owners.
Owners can see exactly what their service charges fund through Mollak. Non-payment can block title deed transactions at the DLD, so unpaid charges follow the property.
Oqood is the DLD's registration system for off-plan property — units still under construction. Registering an off-plan purchase on Oqood secures the buyer's interest before a Title Deed can exist, and is mandatory.
Oqood registration costs 4% of the unit price, the same headline rate as the DLD transfer fee on ready property. It is simply paid earlier in the timeline, at SPA signature. Developers typically add an administrative charge of AED 1,000-5,000 on top.
An Expression of Interest is a refundable pre-launch reservation. A buyer places a deposit to secure priority on a unit before a project formally launches, and receives it back if they do not proceed.
An EOI is not a purchase. It creates a queue position, not ownership, and confers no registered interest in the property. The binding commitment comes at SPA.
The Sale and Purchase Agreement is the contract that legally binds buyer and developer. For off-plan purchases it is signed after the initial deposit and sets out the payment plan, completion date and handover obligations.
Once signed, the SPA is enforceable on both sides. It is the document that turns an interest into an obligation, and the point at which Oqood registration and the 4% fee fall due.
RERA requires every off-plan developer to hold buyer payments in a project-specific escrow account at an approved bank. The developer cannot withdraw freely — funds are released in stages as construction milestones are independently verified.
This is the main structural protection for off-plan buyers in Dubai. Money paid toward a project is ring-fenced to that project and cannot be spent on another.
A payment plan stages the purchase price across construction, typically as a deposit followed by instalments tied to milestones, with a balance due at handover. Post-handover plans extend instalments past completion.
Payment plans are the main commercial differentiator between off-plan projects, and the reason off-plan makes up the majority of Dubai transactions.
Handover is the point at which a completed unit is transferred to the buyer, after the developer obtains a completion certificate. The final payment falls due, and the Oqood registration converts to a Title Deed.
Freehold means outright ownership of both the unit and its share of the land, registered in the owner's name with a Title Deed. It can be sold, leased, mortgaged and inherited.
Foreign nationals may buy freehold only in designated freehold zones — including Dubai Marina, Business Bay, JVC and Arjan. Outside those zones, other ownership forms apply.
Leasehold grants the right to occupy and use a property for a fixed term, commonly up to 99 years, without owning the land. When the term expires without renewal, the interest reverts to the freeholder.
Usufruct is a registered right to use, occupy and take income from someone else's property for a fixed term of up to 99 years. Registration costs 2% of the rental value, payable by each party.
Musataha is a registered right to build on and develop another party's land for up to 50 years. Registration is charged at a reduced 1% of the musataha value.
The Title Deed is the DLD-issued document proving ownership of a specific property. It names the owner, identifies the unit and is the definitive record — a contract with a developer is not ownership until the Title Deed is issued.
Title deeds are viewable in the Dubai REST app and are typically issued within hours of a completed transfer.
The DLD transfer fee is 4% of the declared sale value, payable when a property changes hands. It applies to both ready property transfers and off-plan Oqood registrations.
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| DLD transfer / Oqood fee | 4% of price |
| Trustee office fee | AED 4,000 (sales at AED 500,000+) |
| Title deed issuance | AED 250 |
| Developer NOC | AED 500-5,000 |
| Agency commission | 2% + VAT |
Convention in Dubai is that the buyer pays the 4%, though it is legally payable by both parties and is negotiable in practice.
A No Objection Certificate is the developer's written confirmation that it does not object to a property transfer, issued once outstanding service charges are settled. It costs between AED 500 and AED 5,000 depending on the developer.
No transfer proceeds without it. An NOC is the most common cause of delay in a Dubai resale.
A registration trustee is a DLD-authorised office where property transfers are formally executed. The parties attend, the fees are paid, and the DLD registers the new owner.
Service charges are annual per-square-foot fees funding maintenance of shared areas, paid by the owner. Budgets must be approved by RERA through Mollak before they can be billed.
Service charges are the most commonly underestimated cost of Dubai ownership, and vary enough between buildings to move a net rental yield by more than a percentage point.
Ejari is the mandatory system for registering tenancy contracts in Dubai. A registered Ejari is required to connect DEWA utilities, arrange internet, and sponsor dependants' visas.
An unregistered tenancy contract leaves a tenant unable to access basic services and weakens their position in any dispute.
The RERA rental index is the official benchmark of market rents by area and property type. It determines how much a landlord may legally increase rent at renewal — increases are capped on a sliding scale according to how far the current rent sits below the index.
Dubai rent is conventionally paid in advance by post-dated cheques, quoted as the number of cheques per year. "1 cheque" means the full annual rent up front; "4 cheques" means quarterly.
Fewer cheques usually secure a lower rent, since the landlord receives cash sooner. This is a standard negotiating lever.
Standard commission is 2% of the sale price plus VAT on sales, and 5% of annual rent on rentals. Agents typically split their commission 50/50 with their brokerage.
Only RERA-licensed agents may legally charge commission, and the licence is verifiable in the Dubai REST app.
A Broker Registration Number is the unique licence number RERA issues to each individual agent. A legitimate Dubai agent has one, it appears on their card and listings, and it can be checked in Dubai REST.
The secondary market is resale of completed property between owners, as opposed to buying off-plan from a developer. Around a quarter to a third of Dubai transactions are secondary, and resale volume grew more than 26% in 2025.
A portal lead is an enquiry generated through a listing site such as Property Finder, Bayut or Dubizzle. Portal leads are the primary source of buyer enquiries for most Dubai brokerages and are typically sent to several agents at once.
Because the same buyer usually contacts four to eight agents, response speed determines who wins the deal more than listing quality does.
Tend replies in seconds, qualifies the lead and books the viewing — on your own WhatsApp number. From AED 199/month, 30-day free trial.
Start freeA reference page of verifiable Dubai real estate figures, each with its source and period. Updated as new Dubai Land Department data is published.
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