How to Check a Developer Before Buying Off-Plan

Before buying off-plan, check the developer, not just the building. Your money goes in years before the home exists, and the developer's record is the main thing standing between the two.

The five checks

1. What have they actually delivered?

Not what is announced or under construction. Ask which projects have been completed and handed over, then go and look at one. A community delivered three years ago tells you more than any brochure.

2. Were those projects delivered on time?

Compare the original handover date to the actual one. Delays of six months are common in Dubai. Delays of three years tell you something about how the company operates.

3. Is the project registered and is there an escrow account?

Off-plan projects must be registered with Dubai Land Department, and buyer payments must go into a project escrow account rather than to the developer directly. Verify the escrow details independently rather than taking them from a sales brochure.

4. What is the payment schedule tied to?

Construction-linked payments, where instalments fall due as milestones are reached, protect you far better than a plan tied only to dates. If the building stalls, so do your payments.

5. How does their finished product hold up?

Visit a completed building by the same developer and look at the common areas: lift lobbies, corridors, the car park. Snagging lists and resident opinion in older projects tell you what your building will feel like in five years.

Questions to ask before you sign

• What is the contractual handover date, and what happens if it is missed?
• What is the current construction stage, and can I see it?
• What is the projected service charge?
• Can I sell before handover, and on what conditions?
• What is the defects liability period after handover?

Big developer or small?

Large developers offer delivery certainty and resale liquidity, and charge for both. Smaller developers may offer better value and more generous payment plans, with more risk attached. Neither is automatically the right answer; the difference is how much of your judgement rests on the plan working out.

Before you commit

Read our guides to payment plans, the fees payable, and what to check at handover. Browse current off-plan projects.

Ask us what we know about a developer before you pay a deposit. We will tell you if we would not buy it ourselves.