• Off-plan market reports estimate ~72% of residential transactions across 2025
  • UAE real estate market is projected to expand to USD 132.39 billion by 2030

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Dubai’s real estate market is maturing after a record 2025, with more than 270,000 transactions totalling AED 917 billion[1]. While 2026 is shaping a more investment-led chapter, decision-making is increasingly defined by fundamentals.

In H1 2025, transaction volume reached 125,538 with a total value of approximately AED 431 billion, up 26% in volume and 25% in value year-on-year, according to Dubai Land Department[2]. This growth reflects expanding investor participation and deeper resident-led demand. Within that momentum, the off-plan segment stands for scale and shift toward selectivity.

However, the defining shift is for off-plan with the selectivity and volume, hence buyers are evaluating locations, infrastructure, and developer execution with a longer-term lens. This reflects Dubai as a market maturing into a residency and lifestyle-driven global hub.

Off-plan demand is increasingly being driven by global professionals, founders, and international investors who are choosing Dubai as a base for trade as well as recreationally. The independent market reports off-plan represented ~72% of residential transactions across 2025[3].

Porush Jhunjhunwala CEO of Banke International Properties shared “Dubai’s off-plan market has evolved from momentum-led growth to fundamentals-led selection. Buyers today are evaluating long-term liveability, infrastructure, delivery credibility, operating costs and community design - and the market is responding with a higher standard for what ‘value’ looks like in 2026.”

Additionally, 2026 is expected to be a peak delivery year for new supply, with some forecasts pointing to a large pipeline of completions across 2025–2027. Especially as buyers have more choice so developers face higher expectations around delivery, differentiation, and community outcomes[4]. Earlier cycles left a residue of caution among some investors, often shaped by memories of delays, oversupply, or opaque delivery timelines. The regulatory environment today is materially different. Under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, developers selling units off-plan are required to use escrow (guarantee) accounts, helping ensure buyer funds are protected and released in line with project requirements.

Execution has also become a differentiator that buyers increasingly treat as non-negotiable. Major developers have moved to strengthen delivery control, including bringing [5]construction capability in-house to manage costs, timelines, and handover expectations a shift widely seen as a response to heightened delivery scrutiny in a high-demand market.

Government policy remains a meaningful catalyst for demand especially for international buyers. The Dubai Land Department’s investor pathway for the 10-year Golden Visa links eligibility to property value and clarifies that mortgaged properties can qualify, subject to documentation confirming the required paid amount[6]. This alignment of ownership and residency continues to shape the investment equation.

Dubai’s rental yield profile remains a core part of its investment proposition. Market reporting has cited overall average yields in the mid-single digits to ~7% range[7], while also noting higher-yield performance in select, value-led communities. The UAE smart home market is projected to expand at a 27.5% CAGR between 2025 and 2030, signalling how quickly technology-enabled living is moving from premium to baseline expectation.

Sustainability is following a similar trajectory. Dubai Municipality Green Building regulations frame energy and water performance as a core requirement for modern development, strengthening the long-term resilience and operating-cost profile of new housing stock.

As supply increases and the market tests price sensitivity, attention is shifting toward delivery track records, infrastructure adjacency, and communities designed for real life walkability, services, schools, transport links, and repeatable liveability. Analysts have also warned that elevated delivery pipelines can introduce pricing pressure in the medium term, further reinforcing why 2026 is likely to be a year where selectivity matters more than speed.

Within the wider national context, the UAE real estate market is projected to expand from USD 82.41 billion in 2024 to USD 132.39 billion by 2030[8], reinforcing the long-term trajectory but also raising the bar for quality-driven growth.

About Banke International Properties

Banke International Properties is a Dubai-based real estate brokerage offering a full set of services across residential, commercial, off-plan sales, leasing, property management, and project marketing. Founded on principles of transparency, innovation, and client-first service, Banke has built a reputation as one of the UAE’s leading brokerages, recognized as a certified “Great Place to Work” and consistently ranked among the top workplaces in the country. With a vision to scale globally, the firm continues to combine market expertise with technology-driven solutions to deliver value and trust at every stage of the real estate journey.

For media inquiries contact:    
Kashish Punjabi | Sarah Kanji | Srishti Soni   
Ruder Finn Atteline     
Email: banke@ruderfinnatteline.com

[1] https://dmo.dof.gov.ae/en/news-and-publications/latest-press-releases/dubai-s-real-estate-market-records-new-historic-milestone-with-transactions-exceeding-aed917-billion-usd-2497-bn-in-2025
[2] https://www.mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2025/july/20-07/dubai-real-estate-transactions-exceed-aed431-billion-in-h1-2025?
[3] https://cavendishmaxwell.com/insights/market-reports/residential/dubai-residential-market-performance-q1-2025
[4] https://www.propertyfinder.ae/blog/uae-real-estate-investment-trends-report/
[5] https://www.grandviewresearch.com/horizon/outlook/smart-home-market/uae
[6] https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/request-for-golden-visa-investor/
[7] https://www.engelvoelkers.com/ae/en/resources/rental-yield-dubai?
[8] https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/uae-real-estate-market/30210.html