Dubai market evidence
Off-Plan vs Ready Property in Dubai
How off-plan and ready (existing) property prices compare in the historical DLD transaction record — and what the difference means when you are pricing or buying.
Off-plan vs ready — the numbers
Off-plan median
16,323 AED/sqm
44% of sampled sales
Ready (existing) median
9,905 AED/sqm
56% of sampled sales
Off-plan vs ready
+65%
Median AED/sqm difference
Sampled transactions
208,134
What the gap means
In the sampled DLD records, off-plan sales carry a median of 16,323 AED/sqm against 9,905 AED/sqm for ready (existing) units — an off-plan median roughly 65% aboveready stock. A higher off-plan median does not automatically mean off-plan is “more expensive”: off-plan launches skew toward newer towers and prime communities, so part of the difference reflects what is being sold, not a like-for-like premium.
Off-plan (44% of sampled transactions) is bought from a developer before or during construction, typically on a payment plan, with handover and delivery risk. Ready property (56%) is an existing unit you can inspect and rent out immediately. For a fair comparison, always narrow to the same area and unit type rather than relying on citywide medians.
This is sales transaction evidence only and ends 2023-03-17. It is market reference, not valuation or investment advice.