PRIME Buyers Guide
SELLING LUXURY
PROPERTIES IN DUBAI
Buying a property, like any large financial investment, can be daunting. But, the UAE’s luxury real estate market offers more opportunities now than ever before. PRIME by Betterhomes is here to guide you throughout the entire process, whether you are looking for your dream home, holiday retreat or investment property.
PRIME by Betterhomes offers professional guidance, up-to-date market knowledge, rapid access to sought-after properties, and the highest standards of confidentiality and service. We provide expert and reliable evaluations of real estate prospects and have exclusive access to some of the finest properties available.
Whilst one of our Luxury Client Advisors will be happy to advise you, we have prepared the following outline to simplify the property buying process.
Set a budget
It’s important to begin your property search by evaluating your financial position and deciding on a budget. Remember to factor in the costs involved in buying a property, like the 2% agency fee and 4% transfer fee. This will allow you to confidently conduct your search for the perfect property.
Get pre-approved
If you are planning to buy a property using a mortgage then it is important to obtain pre-approval as soon as possible. Pre-approval means a bank has approved you for a mortgage up to a certain amount, which is typically valid for 60 days. This not only confirms that your budget is realistic, but it puts you in a stronger position to negotiate a purchase. Your Luxury Client Advisor can assist you with pre-approval through our partnership with trusted Mortgage Advisors.
Choose an agent
Choosing an experienced, RERA-qualified agent, who understands your budget and requirements, is vital to the success of your property search.
PRIME by Betterhomes has a carefully selected team of Luxury Client Advisors. We offer a fully tailored approach to meet your exact needs. With extensive market knowledge, exclusive access to off-market listings, a global network of trusted partners, and privacy and discretion at all times, it’s all part of the PRIME service.
View properties
Understanding your budget and needs, your advisor will begin to suggest properties and communities that match your requirements. They will also organise private viewings so that you can view several options and find the right property for you.
Make an offer and negotiate
Once you have found a property you love, communicate your offer in writing to your Luxury Client Advisor. They will then handle all negotiations on your behalf. Negotiations may go beyond the price, to other significant aspects determining the sale, such as the deposit, inclusions, subject removal dates, and completion and possession dates.
Offer acceptance
Once you have agreed on the price and any conditions of sale with the seller, you will enter into a legally binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which RERA calls a Form F. This will outline full details of the contract you are entering into, as well as an agreed length of time until formal transfer. This process is done via the Dubai Brokers App.
At this stage, you will give your advisor a current dated cheque, made out to the seller for 10% of the total purchase price and a post-dated commission cheque, made out to the real estate agency.
Sales progression
If you are purchasing using a mortgage, the bank will complete a valuation of the property. They will then issue a final offer letter to confirm that you are approved for the mortgage.
If the seller currently has a mortgage on the property, they should obtain a final mortgage statement from their bank. You will then visit the Dubai Land Department (DLD) to ‘block the property’, which protects you as the buyer by preventing the property from being sold to anyone else. This is done using four cheques: one in the name of the seller’s bank for the outstanding mortgage; one in the name of the seller for the remainder of the purchase price; one to the DLD to cover the transfer fee; and a final manager’s cheque for commission, made out to the agency.
Obtain a NOC
Before the purchase can proceed, the seller will need to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the property’s developer. This confirms that there are no unpaid service charges on the property and that the developer has no objection to the sale.
Transfer the property
On transfer day, you will meet your Luxury Client Advisor and the seller at the DLD transfer office. Only cash or manager’s cheques will be accepted for the purchase, so you should have these on hand. You should also have a cheque for 4% of the sale price to cover the DLD transfer fees, plus a small amount of cash for the trustee office’s fee.
Once the transfer is complete, the sale is recorded with the DLD and you will receive your new title deed, plus any property keys and access cards. At this point, you should settle any overpaid service charges pro rata with the seller.
Congratulations
With the transfer complete, you are now the homeowner! You can set up the utilities and move into the property
