You can buy off-plan property in Dubai without travelling: developers sign the contract electronically, take payments by bank transfer into the project's escrow account and register the deal with the Dubai Land Department (DLD) themselves. Below is the sequence, and the payment plans that the large developers actually publish as of 19 October 2026. Ownership zones and the full cost sheet are in our guide for foreign buyers.
Step 1. Choose a unit and book it
Pick a specific unit — floor, size, view and price. Emaar publishes its remaining inventory unit by unit with a price on each; Damac and Azizi show a project-level "from" price. Booking usually means a reservation form and the first instalment, which is 10% or 20% of the price in most plans in our catalogue. Before booking, ask for the draft contract and the payment plan for that exact unit.
Step 2. SPA and Oqood registration
The sale and purchase agreement (SPA) arrives for e-signature. Once it is signed and the first payment made, the developer registers the sale with the DLD in the Oqood interim register — the buyer's recorded right to a unit under construction. The DLD registration fee is 4% of the price; who pays it is set by the contract (usually the buyer, though some developers cover it as an incentive), so check that clause before signing.
Step 3. Paying by the plan
Money goes not to the developer but to the project's escrow account, as Dubai law requires (see escrow and off-plan risks). Plans differ by developer. As of 19 Oct 2026, 55 projects in our catalogue have a published plan: 33 Emaar projects use eight 10% instalments during construction plus 20% on handover; completed or nearly completed buildings use 20% on booking and 80% on handover; Damac most often uses 60/40 — 60% during construction, 40% at completion. Each of these project pages has a calculator: enter the price and see every instalment in AED and USD at an indicative rate — for example Aeon at Dubai Creek Harbour.
Step 4. Handover and title deed
When the building is completed, the Oqood is converted into a title deed. You can attend the handover yourself or give a power of attorney. The 4% fee is not charged again — it is paid once, at Oqood registration.
What to check when you buy without visiting
The broker's ORN in the DLD register; the project escrow account number in the contract and in the payment details; that the unit, size and price in the SPA match what you were shown; the handover date and what happens if it slips. We are not an agency and do not give legal advice: Dubai Estate is a catalogue built on developers' published data. You can request the price list, available units and the plan for a project with the form on its page; with your separate consent, the request goes to a RERA-licensed Dubai broker.