How to check a Dubai property project before visiting the sales office

Ask for the Dubai Land Department project number before booking a sales appointment. A brochure may use a neighbourhood name, a tower name and a launch name on the same page. The number gives you a starting point for checking which development the offer refers to, who is registered as its developer and which progress record to read. Take those details to the meeting and ask the salesperson to match them to the unit they are offering. Dubai Land Department’s Project Status Enquiry

Identify the phase before looking at the progress figure

Write down the marketing name, the developer name, the proposed tower or phase and the unit reference if there is one. Ask the salesperson for the registered project name and number. Use DLD’s Project Status Enquiry on the website or the Mashrooi service in Dubai REST. The department’s service overview lists searches by land number, project number or project name. If a name produces several plausible matches, confirm the number before using the result. DLD’s search options · Project lookup and fact sheet

Compare the location, developer and any phase or building details shown against the offer. Save the date you looked it up and the project number you found. For example, a sales invitation might refer to a waterfront neighbourhood while the draft contract refers to one building in a later phase. Ask the office to identify the registered record for that building. If it provides a different project number from the one you found, ask for the reason before using any construction information from either result. The difference could be as simple as a marketing label, or it could mean you were looking at a separate project. DLD project identification fields

Check who is developing the project and who placed the ad

The developer in the project record may have a legal name that differs from the brand on the hoarding. Look for that entity in DLD’s Licensed Developers directory and ask the sales office to explain any difference in names. If an agency arranged the appointment, check the broker through the department’s licensed broker directory. The developer, the advertising company and the individual who accompanies you to the meeting may each have a different role. Put each name beside its role so you know who to ask for documents and who would sign the agreement. DLD’s Licensed Developers directory · DLD’s licensed broker directory

If you came through a real estate advertisement, scan its Madmoun QR code and compare the official advertisement details with what you were shown. DLD says the service can display the advertising company and property specifications. If the link describes a different property or the quoted unit was substituted after you enquired, ask for the record for the actual offer. Keep the advertising check separate from the project check. One helps identify the authorised advertisement, while the other identifies the registered development. To establish availability and price for the unit, ask for a current written offer. DLD’s Madmoun guidance

Read the status with the inspection date beside it

The DLD lookup can show project status, completion percentage, inspection information and remarks. Write down the most recent date shown beside the figure. If you have also been sent a construction video, check when and where it was filmed before comparing it with the record. A recent-looking clip may show an adjacent phase. A recorded percentage describes the project at the time of the relevant update. Ask the office what has happened since then and which documents it can provide for the phase you are considering. Project status, remarks and inspection fields · DLD project data field descriptions

Keep the date from the project record and the handover terms from the contract in separate places. If the salesperson gives a target quarter, ask where the intended handover appears in the draft contract and what conditions or extensions it allows. Ask when you can inspect the finished unit and whether the access road, parking or a facility that matters to you is expected to be usable for your phase. For a home you intend to occupy, those answers will matter after the building’s construction work is reported complete. DLD’s separate final registration procedure

Check the project escrow details before acting on payment instructions

Look for the escrow section of the project record and note which project and bank it relates to. Dubai’s development escrow law provides for payments by off-plan purchasers to go into an account in the name of the development project. If a developer is selling in several phases, ask it to identify the account for your phase and confirm the payment reference to use for your unit. If the official lookup does not show enough information to confirm the instructions, ask DLD or the developer through established contact details before making a transfer. Dubai’s development escrow law, Article 7 · DLD project escrow fields

Bring the proposed payment schedule to the meeting and ask the salesperson to explain each line. Separate the reservation amount, price instalments and any registration or other fee. For the reservation, ask whether it is credited toward the price and what happens if the unit or terms change before the contract is signed. Get the answer, the recipient and the deadline in writing. If an account number changes after the meeting, confirm the revised instructions independently. A familiar brand name on the invoice is less useful than a match between the registered project, the written payment request and the instructions you have verified. DLD project registration and escrow process

Ask for the unit offer you would actually sign

Request a dated offer showing the developer’s legal name, the project and building, the unit reference, floor, area and total price. Ask how long the offer is valid and which items are included, such as parking, storage or specific appliances. If a floor plan shows a terrace or a room that matters to you, check the area and layout against the plan attached to the offer. Ask which documents will become part of the contract. If you are shown more than one option during the meeting, ask for a separate written offer for each so you can compare the same fields afterwards.

Put the offer beside the payment schedule. If an instalment is linked to construction, ask which milestone triggers it, who confirms that milestone and how you will be notified. If the offer gives a date, check whether the draft contract uses the same date. Ask how any change to the plan, area or handover timetable is dealt with under the contract. Write down what you heard at the meeting, then ask the office to confirm the points that affect your decision in the version you would sign.

For an initial purchase from a developer, DLD’s initial sale service describes registration through Oqood and the issue of a provisional registration certificate. Ask who will submit the signed agreement, what you need to provide and how you will receive the record. After it is issued, compare the buyer and unit details with the agreement. A project registration record is about the development. The provisional certificate is the record you would expect for the registered initial sale of your unit. Keep both references where you can find them. DLD initial sale registration and certificate · DLD project registration

Use the visit to resolve specific discrepancies

Suppose an invitation advertises a tower in a larger community, but the project result you found describes a different building. Ask for the registered project number for the tower on your offer and compare it with the written unit reference. If the sales team shows construction images, ask for the phase and date. A clear answer gives you a record you can recheck after the meeting. If the discrepancy remains, keep it open in your notes and leave payments pending while you verify which project and account the offer belongs to.

Suppose instead that you have the correct project number and the register shows a recent inspection, but the delivery date on the brochure differs from the draft contract. Ask the salesperson to point to the clause that governs the handover timetable and explain the difference. If the date matters because your lease or financing has a deadline, ask for the written terms before you build your plans around it. An official inspection date is useful for interpreting recorded progress. The contract and current arrangements for your unit are the documents to check for the delivery timetable. DLD project and inspection record

Leave the visit with enough detail to follow up from home. Keep the project number, developer and advertising references, the date of the progress check, the proposed unit and draft payment schedule, and the name of the person responsible for each outstanding answer. Mark what you confirmed through DLD and what still depends on the developer. If you are comparing projects, use the same record for each. That makes it easier to see whether the offers differ in price and timing or whether one simply leaves more questions unanswered.

Decide what needs an answer before the visit and before payment

If you cannot find the project on the first search, try the number and registered name supplied by the sales office, then use the alternative official channel listed by DLD. Note which search you ran. A search result can be missing because you used a marketing name or because the available record needs clarification. Ask DLD what it can confirm using the identifiers you have. You can still use a meeting to get documents, but wait to commit funds until you can identify the project and verify the written payment instructions. DLD’s website, Dubai REST and WhatsApp lookup channels

If a sales offer expires before those checks can be completed, ask whether the office can extend it or issue a fresh one. A shorter validity period changes how long the terms are open, while the information you need to check stays the same. If a new offer changes the unit, phase or developer, repeat the checks for those fields rather than carrying over the results from the previous offer. Save the dated version you relied on. It gives you a clear record if you receive a different payment request or contract later.

On a second visit, bring the first offer and ask the salesperson to mark any changes. A revised plan may alter the area or the parking allocation even when the advertised price is unchanged. Ask for a dated copy of the revised plan and payment schedule before comparing the new offer with another project. If the salesperson refers to an upcoming amenity, ask which phase it belongs to and where its delivery is described.