Frequently asked questions.

Yes. In designated freehold areas foreign nationals acquire full, perpetual ownership, registered with the land registry of the respective emirate — the Dubai Land Department in Dubai, the corresponding registry in Abu Dhabi. Residency in the UAE is not required; the same rules apply to residents and non-residents alike.

No. The entire process can be handled remotely, in certain cases via power of attorney. Opening a bank account may require an in-person appointment depending on the bank.

In Dubai a 4 % Dubai Land Department transfer fee applies on purchase, plus registration fees; in Abu Dhabi the rate is 2 % to its own registry. As the buyer you only pay agency commission on a resale property, customarily 2 % of the price — on an off-plan purchase there is none. On an ongoing basis the building service charges apply, which vary considerably by property and specification — they belong in every yield calculation.

The UAE levies no personal income tax on rental income. What is taxable beyond that depends on where you are tax resident — that belongs with your tax adviser.

Not automatically. Above certain investment thresholds, investor and Golden Visa options exist with their own requirements. Whether and in what form this applies to you is something we clarify with the relevant partner — thresholds and conditions change.

Off-plan means buying before completion, usually with a staged payment plan and a lower entry price, but with completion and timing risk. Completed properties produce income immediately and can be viewed, but typically cost more. Which fits depends on the objective, not on the trend.

There is no honest blanket answer. The range depends on location, property type, letting model and above all service charges. I model every property with actual comparable rents and full costs — not the gross figures from sales material.

A developer sells its own project; it does not compare it with anyone else’s. That is exactly my job: I assess a property against comparable transactions, other locations and developers, the payment plan, running costs and how easily it will resell later — and I tell you when it does not fit. Then there is access: through relationships with developers built up over time, I often hear about units before they appear on the public availability list, or about units that never appear there. And when a question about the floor plan, payment plan or handover needs answering, I know whom to call instead of waiting on a contact form. On an off-plan purchase this costs you nothing extra: the commission is paid by the developer, and my brokerage service is free of charge to you as the buyer.

On an off-plan purchase I am always paid by the developer; you as the buyer pay no commission. On a resale purchase, buyer and seller customarily each pay 2 % of the price.

The developer’s commission is not the same for every project. That is exactly why my selection is not based on it but on the investment: entry price against actual transactions, location, developer, running costs, resale prospects and fit with your plan. If a project does not fit, I do not recommend it.

Before you reserve anything, you know your costs.

Assets located in the UAE are not automatically governed by your home succession law. A registered will settles this bindingly. It should be discussed before the purchase, not after.