4 reasons to invest in the Dubai real estate market

Global management consulting firm, AT Kearney, recently ranked Dubai as the most ‘global city’ within the Gulf. The report also affirmed Dubai as the city with the highest growth potential in the region.1 It’s no wonder investors seek to be part of its growth, especially within the real estate market. Analysts estimate that Dubai’s irresistible appeal of a safe, peaceful and modern lifestyle is bound to help the emirate record property sales over AED 292 billion in 2017. In fact, in the first 15 days of this year, it already witnessed sales of over AED 12 billion – with the help of increased interest from countries such as India and China.2

But, why exactly is Dubai realty a popular choice for Indian and Chinese investors? Here are few reasons that show us why they favour Dubai’s real estate market.

Government policies in Dubai

Dubai offers a fairly straight forward, hassle-free process to purchasing property. There are no special permits or lengthy paperwork requirements to make a successful transaction – in fact it’s very easy to invest in property in comparison to other parts of the world.

Dubai’s market stability

A safe, viable and profitable business environment is key to pulling international investors. As market turbulences are a frequent affair in other parts of the world, Dubai offers investors a friendly environment in comparison. It’s the fastest growing economy in the world with a massive influx of tourists from across the globe. Apart from that, Expo 2020 is another compelling reason to invest in Dubai . Recently the Dubai Expo 2020 announced construction contracts worth 11 billion in 2017, proving its move towards making the mega event a resounding success and reinforced expectations of growth.

Booming tourism sector

With 14.9 million overnight visitors recorded in 2016, Dubai is a world-class tourist destination and the fourth most visited city in the world. The growth of Dubai’s tourism, even through market fluctuations, validates its ability to adapt. Also, for a memorable experience, Dubai offers luxury malls, man-made islands and extraordinary hotels to its guests. Entertainment and hospitality sectors flourish as investors have poured in money for an unforgettable tourist experience. In 2016, Chinese visitors increased by 20%, with 540,000 tourists visiting Dubai and for the first time crossing the half million mark. Visitors from South Asia grew by 13% mainly led by tourists from India.

Higher rental yields

A steady market and quality tourist experience makes Dubai a premier destination for return on investment. It offers high rental returns, which attracts a significant amount of international investors. According to property portal, Bayut.com, Dubai’s rental yields can range from anywhere from 8% to 10%. As property prices are lower than other international markets and with a close proximity to Asia, investors from India and China possess a key advantage in making money from renting out property.

Dubai has established itself as an obvious choice for anyone looking to invest in realty, with many Asian countries seizing the opportunity to boost their investments in Dubai’s flourishing real estate sector.

Sources: 1: Gulf News 2: Khaleej Times 3: The National 4: Emirates 24/7

What Are My Visa Options As A Dubai Real Estate Investor?

According to the Dubai Land Department (DLD), real estate tractions reached AED 77 billion during the first quarter of 2017, a 45% increase in value compared to the same period last year. 1 With the UAE’s real estate market growing at a steady pace, investing now stands to be a good decision. High rental yields and the ability to get a residency visa make Dubai ideal for investors from all around the world.

So, if you too are planning to invest here and want to know more about the type of visas available to investors, the duration or the requirements, here is a summary to help you get started.

What type of visa can I get?

The Dubai Land Department offers investors a two-year investor visa Dubai upon submission of the required documents and payment of all fees. This visa is renewable and investors can also sponsor family members, but additional fees will be applicable for dependants.

What are the basic criteria to apply for this visa?

Below are general requirements investors need to meet in order to apply for the two-year renewable visa:

§  Visas will only be granted for properties that are valued over AED 1 million

§  The property (flat or villa) must be owned by the investor with a title deed issued by the Dubai Land Department

§  The purchased property must belong to a freehold area in Dubai

§  An investor with multiple properties can also apply for this visa provided that the total shared value of their properties is above AED 1 million

§  Spouses may share a property when applying. However, they will be required to present their marriage certificate at application

§  Investors will be required to renew their visa every two years

What documents will be required?

When preparing for your application, make sure you have the documents below. In some cases, the authorities may ask for additional documentation. So, it’s advisable to keep all important documents ready in advance to avoid any delays. These include:

§  A copy of the title deed of your property

§  Passport copy and photographs

§  Police clearance certificates, including an NOC from the customer service at the DLD office

§  Legalised marriage certificate (if applicable)

§  An NOC from the bank if the property is mortgaged

§  Proof of health insurance for applicants and dependents

For more information, check out a comprehensive guide recently launched by DLD in collaboration with Al Tamimi & Co. ‘Know Your Rights as a Real Estate Investor in Dubai’ aims to educate and help investors to be aware of relevant laws and procedures. So, if you’re looking to invest or already own properties in Dubai, the guide can help you make a well-informed investment decision.

Sources: 1: GulfNews; Dubai Land Department

BUYING A LAND IN DUBAI? HERE’S WHAT YOU MUST KNOW!

It’s not always easy to find a home that has all the features you’re looking for. You may still be left empty handed even after spending a lot of time searching for your dream home via property listing websites and real estate agents.

If your dream home doesn’t exist yet, then building your home from the ground up according to your own preferences might be the perfect option for you.

But this is also not a completely hassle-free task. The most crucial step of building a home from the ground up is to find and buy the most suitable plot.

Dubai, as an investment hub, has a lot of real estate investment options and investing in a residential/commercial plot of land is one of them.

Dubai’s real estate industry is booming and an increasing number of people are considering buying land either for self-build, development or investment purposes.

Whether you’re looking for a readymade property project or a land for sale in Dubai, never forget one thing, i.e. “Do your homework before making any decision”.

So make sure you know each and everything about buying a land in Dubai before taking any decision. After-all, well-informed decisions yield great results!

Understanding the types of land ownership in Dubai, UAE:

This is really important. Make yourself aware of all the UAE land ownership types and choose the one that fits you perfectly.

There are basically four types of land ownership in the UAE:

1: GCC Land: This type of land is available freehold for locals i.e. UAE Nationals only.

2: Freehold Land: All nationalities are eligible to buy this type of land.

3: Free-zone Land for lease: All nationalities are eligible to own this type of land for up to 99 years (renewable)

4: GCC Land for lease: Open to all nationalities and has ownership duration from 1-99 years.

You can contact a real estate agent to help you choose the most suitable type of land.

Choosing the area you want to invest in

If you’re planning to buy a residential land in Dubai then you’ll come across a wide range of options. If you carry out a quick search on Google, you’ll find lots of plots and land for sale in Dubai.

You must be aware that Dubai’s real estate industry is constantly evolving and now most of the top real estate developers have begun selling plots too. One such developer is: DAMAC. The trend that was initiated by DAMAC and a few other top developers is now gradually gaining a wider acceptance as this lets the developer focus exclusively on fulfilling the infrastructure needs of that area instead of working on building up the individual homes as well.

Following are the most famous areas among expats for residential land investment:

·         Al Furjan

·         Palm Jumeirah

·         Emirates Hills

Talking about commercial plots, areas like Jebel Ali, Mohammad Bin Rashid City and Al Barsha are the most popular.

If you compare Dubai’s land prices with the rest of the world or with other top-tier cities like New York and London, you’ll realize that you’ve taken a wise decision of investing in such a valuable asset at pretty affordable rates.

3 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW WHEN DEALING WITH REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS IN DUBAI

Buying property is one of the most important decisions of life and you must know all the “ins and outs” of the whole buying process.

Dubai is not only famous for its unique tourism projects; the city of gold is also a global real estate investment hotspot. It is and has always been a popular choice for potential property investors from around the world.

If you’re planning to invest in Dubai, the first most important thing is to find the right real estate developer. You must do your own bit of research and try to have sound knowledge of Dubai’s Real Estate Industry.

Whether you’re an expat or a UAE citizen looking to invest in the city’s real estate, you must stay prudent and keep the following 3 pointers in mind while dealing with real estate developers in Dubai:

1: Reputation of the real estate developer


You obviously wouldn’t want to entrust your funds with just any other random real estate developer. After all, it’s a life time investment. You must check the reputation of the real estate developer you’re planning to choose.

It’s really easy to figure out if a real estate developer is reputable or not, just make sure to keep the following factors in mind:

· Check how many years of experience the developer has.

· See how many projects the developer has launched till now and how many of them have been successful

· Talk with the developer’s existing customers and get to know about their experience.

· Ensure that the developer is registered with RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Agency).

· Check if the developer meets the timelines or not. Do they always meet the announced timelines?

· Make sure that the developer also has great after-purchase customer support.

2: Is the developer abiding by all the RERA imposed rules and regulations?

RERA is basically a real estate regulatory agency formed by the State Govt of Dubai to regulate the real estate organizations and agents operating in Dubai.

RERA has certain rules and regulations which the real estate developers in Dubai must abide by.

You must make sure that your developer is abiding by all the rules by asking relevant questions. Don’t shy away from asking questions, you must check if the answers you’re getting from your developer are convincing or not.

3: Is your developer offering a healthier Return on Investment (ROI)?

It’s no surprise that every investor expects a healthy return on investment. Like everyone, you would also want to choose a developer who offers a healthier return on investment.

You can figure this out by checking the developer’s past track record. Get to know if their properties have previously been traded on the secondary market or not. If yes, then at what price?

Being well informed is really important, you should know the percentage of returns you’re going to receive if someday you plan to sell off your property.

Apart from the pointers mentioned above, you should also try to observe the work culture of the company by visiting their office frequently and talking with their sales representatives. Talking with the developer’s team will help you build a trust level with them and once you maintain a trust level, it’ll be easier for you to decide which developer to choose.