The market for income buildings in 2026
Source: Anarock data reported by Khaleej Times, 18 August 2026.
Source: Knight Frank, H1 2026 (via Zawya).
Source: Savills Q3 2026, reported by Khaleej Times.
- Commercial property sales in H1 2026 were AED 65.23 billion, 8.5% higher than a year earlier, across 6,487 deals. Office sales were AED 15.81 billion (Anarock data via Khaleej Times). Capital is moving from land banking to income-producing assets.
- In Q3 2026 commercial sales were 2,789 deals worth AED 18.04 billion, and the average secondary office price was AED 1,930 per square foot (CRC Property data via Khaleej Times).
- Residential rents are softening: Savills recorded falls of 12.8% in Dubai Marina, 12.2% in Business Bay, 10.4% in JVC and 7.5% in Al Furjan over the year to Q3 2026. Check a building’s rent roll against current rents.
- Regional uncertainty since late February 2026 has slowed Dubai sales. Residential sales in Q3 2026 were AED 72.6 billion, 47% lower than a year earlier, across about 34,000 deals, and off-plan was still 72% of deals (Cavendish Maxwell data, reported by The National on 7 October 2026). Earlier in the year, Q1 2026 real estate transactions of all types reached AED 252 billion across 60,303 transactions (DLD).
No public statistics exist yet for whole-building sales or labour-accommodation yields in 2026, so DealExit does not publish yield figures. Buyers underwrite each building on its own verified numbers.
Building types and what buyers check
| Type | Usually bought by | What buyers check |
|---|---|---|
| Residential building | Investors seeking rental income, family offices | Rent roll, occupancy, tenancy contracts and renewals, service charges, building condition and maintenance history |
| Commercial or office building | Investors, owner-occupiers | Tenants and lease terms, vacancy, fit-out condition, parking |
| Warehouse or logistics unit | Logistics and trading businesses, investors | Tenure (freehold or lease from a zone authority), power load, loading and clear height, existing leases |
| Labour or staff accommodation | Contractors, facility operators, investors | Permitted capacity, operator contracts, compliance with municipality standards |
| Hotel or hotel-apartment building | Hospitality investors and operators | Operator agreement, trading history, licence |
Warehouses in free zones
In free zones such as Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), Dubai South and Dubai Industrial City, warehouses are usually held on long leases from the zone authority rather than as freehold title deeds, and a sale is usually a transfer of that lease approved by the zone authority, not a DLD title transfer. Dubai Investments Park has a mix of tenures. Confirm the tenure and the transfer process with the zone authority before you agree a price.
Who can buy a building in Dubai
Under Dubai’s real property registration law (Law No. 7 of 2006, Article 4), ownership is open to UAE nationals, GCC nationals, companies fully owned by them and public joint stock companies. Other nationalities can own freehold, or hold usufruct or lease rights of up to 99 years, in the areas designated for non-UAE nationals. Check the area’s status with the Dubai Land Department before you agree a price. This is general information, not legal advice.
What it costs on top of the price
| Item | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| DLD sale fee | 4% of the sale value: officially 2% seller and 2% buyer. In practice the buyer often pays all 4%; who pays is written in Form F | Dubai Land Department |
| Registration trustee (service partner) | AED 4,000 + VAT for a sale of AED 500,000 or more; AED 2,000 + VAT below | DLD registration trustee office |
| Knowledge and innovation fees | AED 10 each | Dubai Land Department |
| Title deed and map | Title deed AED 250; map AED 250 for an apartment, villa or building unit, or for land AED 225 (AED 100 outside Dubai Municipality) | Dubai Land Department |
| DealExit fee | One published fee, tiered by price and invoiced on completion. The seller side is capped | DealExit |
- DLD fee (4%)
- AED 60,000
- of which the buyer pays
- AED 30,000
- of which the seller pays
- AED 30,000
- Registration trustee (incl. 5% VAT)
- AED 4,200
- Knowledge + innovation fees
- AED 20
- Official cost of the transfer
- AED 64,220
Official DLD fees only, from the DLD sale-registration page. Developer NOC, title deed and map fees, and any DealExit fee are not included. An estimate, not a quote.
Free-zone lease transfers follow the zone authority’s own fees instead of the DLD rows above.
How a building sale works on DealExit
- List the asset
The owner lists the asset. We read the facts from the title deed and the affection plan (and, for a building, the rent roll) and show where each one came from.
- Buyers qualify
Buyers verify once, then add proof of funds and Form B before their first offer.
- NDA and data room
An NDA for each asset opens the exact location and the data room. Every view is recorded, so the owner knows who saw what and when.
- Choose how it sells
The owner chooses how it sells: Open Offers, Price Drop with steps the owner approves, or an Exit Window through a licensed partner (Dubai only).
- Complete the transfer
When an offer is accepted, buyer and seller complete Form F and the transfer at a DLD registration trustee office.
DealExit holds no funds, does not negotiate for either side and does not certify a transfer. Official fees are paid at cost to the authority, never to DealExit.