Buying Property

Making an Offer & Reservation

How to make an offer and secure your property.

Updated: September 2026 5 min read

Making an offer on property in Dubai is usually informal: you or your agent put a price and terms to the seller, and nothing binds either side until you both sign a sale contract. Through a broker, that contract is the DLD's Contract F, often called Form F or the MOU. A deposit of around 10% is customary, not a legal rule.

Get ready before you make an offer

Sign Contract B with your broker. It is the DLD's buyer-broker agreement and records the commission and how long it lasts.
If you need a mortgage, get pre-approval first so you know your limit. See Down Payment Requirements for the Central Bank's loan-to-value caps.
Check the title deed with the DLD's verification service and ask whether the property is mortgaged or tenanted.

What to put in your offer

Price, and whether you are paying cash or with a mortgage.
Deposit amount, who will hold it, and when it is released.
Target transfer date.
Conditions, such as the offer being subject to mortgage approval or a satisfactory viewing.
What is included, such as appliances or furniture, and whether an existing tenant stays.
Who pays which fees. The DLD lists its 4% transfer fee as 2% from each side; by market convention the buyer often pays the full 4%. It is negotiable, so put it in writing.

Contract F: when the offer becomes binding

Once terms are agreed, the broker prepares Contract F in the DLD's system and the parties approve it. It records the price, payment plan, contract duration, tenancy details, the DLD fee split and any additional terms. If a dispute arises over Contract F, RERA offers an amicable settlement service; if that fails, the parties must go to court. Under Dubai Law No. 7 of 2006 (Article 10), a party who breaks an undertaking to transfer a property right is liable to pay an indemnity. In practice, a signed contract gives you a claim for compensation if the seller backs out, not an automatic right to the property.

The deposit: what is customary and what is law

Customary: a deposit of around 10% of the price, often given as a security cheque held by the broker until transfer. No law fixes the amount.
Law: a broker who is handed money or cheques for safekeeping holds them as a trustee and must deliver them as agreed (Bylaw No. 85 of 2006, Article 21).
What happens to the deposit if either side pulls out depends on the terms of Contract F. Read that clause before you sign.

Reserving an off-plan unit

With a developer, you usually reserve a unit and then sign the SPA. Every payment must go into the project's escrow account, and a broker marketing the project may not pay your money into their own account or deduct commission from it first (Executive Council Resolution No. 6 of 2010, Article 12). Check the project and its escrow account on the DLD's project status inquiry before you pay anything. See Property Purchase Agreement (SPA).

Before you hand over a deposit

Confirm the broker is licensed on the DLD website.
Make sure Contract F states the deposit, who holds it and the refund terms.
Make the offer subject to mortgage approval if you are borrowing.
Agree in writing who pays the DLD transfer fee and the agency fee.
Never pay an off-plan booking amount into a personal or brokerage account.

Frequently asked questions

Is an offer on a Dubai property legally binding?

Not on its own. An offer is usually informal, and nothing binds either side until both sign a sale contract. Through a broker, that contract is the DLD's Contract F, often called Form F or the MOU.

What happens if the seller backs out after signing Form F?

Under Dubai Law No. 7 of 2006, a party who breaks an undertaking to transfer a property right is liable to pay an indemnity. In practice that gives you a claim for compensation, not an automatic right to the property, and what happens to the deposit depends on the terms of Contract F.

Can the buyer and seller split the DLD transfer fee?

Yes, it is negotiable. The DLD lists its 4% transfer fee as 2% from each side, but by market convention the buyer often pays the full 4%. Agree the split in writing; Contract F records the DLD fee split.

Who holds the deposit when you buy a property in Dubai?

Customarily, a deposit of around 10% is given as a security cheque held by the broker until transfer. A broker handed money or cheques for safekeeping holds them as a trustee and must deliver them as agreed (Bylaw No. 85 of 2006, Article 21).

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