Is the process the same for an off-plan and a ready unit?

The first two steps, booking and signing the SPA, are the same. The registration step differs: an off-plan unit is registered in an interim system like Oqood in Dubai, while a ready unit's title transfers directly to the buyer.

When do I get the title deed?

For a ready unit, the title deed is issued at the registration step, before handover. For an off-plan unit, the title deed is typically issued once the project is complete and the final registration is done.

Who registers the transaction with the land authority?

Registration is usually completed by the developer, the seller's agent, or a registration trustee office on behalf of the parties, depending on the emirate and whether the unit is off-plan or ready.

Buying in the UAE: The Order of Steps From Booking to Handover

A UAE property purchase moves through the same sequence of steps regardless of price or location, though the exact registration process differs by emirate. This guide sets out who is involved at each stage and what document confirms it, without stating fees or timeframes that vary case by case. This guide is one part of a broader step-by-step buyer's guide to purchasing property in the UAE.

Booking the unit

The buyer and the seller, usually the developer's sales team for an off-plan unit or the seller's agent for a resale, agree on the unit and price and the buyer pays a booking deposit to hold it. The output is a signed reservation form or booking receipt naming the unit and the agreed price, not yet a binding sale contract.

Signing the sale and purchase agreement (SPA)

The buyer and the seller sign a sale and purchase agreement that sets out the final price, the payment schedule, and the delivery or handover terms. For an off-plan purchase, this is usually the developer's standard form; for a resale, a lawyer or licensed conveyancer commonly reviews it before signing. The output is a signed SPA, the contract that governs the transaction from this point on.

Registering the transaction with the land authority

Once the SPA is signed, the transaction is registered with the emirate's land authority. For an off-plan unit in Dubai, this is registration in the Oqood system, an interim record of the buyer's rights before the project is complete; other emirates run their own equivalent registration process under their own land authority. In Dubai, the sale and purchase contract for an off-plan unit must be registered in the provisional (Oqood) register within 90 days of the date the contract is signed (checked 12 September 2026, source below); the equivalent deadline for other emirates is not stated here. For a ready unit, registration transfers legal title from the seller to the buyer, sometimes through a registration trustee office acting on the authority's behalf. The output is an Oqood registration record for an off-plan unit, or a new title deed in the buyer's name for a ready one.

Handover

At handover, the developer or seller and the buyer inspect the unit together, and any defects are logged for the developer to fix under a snagging or defects-liability process. The output is the keys to the unit and, for a ready purchase, the title deed already issued at the registration step; for an off-plan purchase, the title deed itself is typically issued once the project reaches completion and final registration.

What to do next

This guide sets out the order of steps, not most fees or statutory requirements tied to them. In Dubai, one confirmed statutory deadline is that an off-plan sale and purchase contract must be registered in the provisional Oqood register within 90 days of signing (checked 12 September 2026, source below). Registration fees, Oqood fees, and the equivalent deadline for other emirates still require a dated source and are not stated here; a dedicated cost breakdown article will cover the fees once sourced. To estimate the cost of a purchase, use the calculators section; for a legal check on a specific property before signing, use the legal verification service.

Contents

Booking the unit
Signing the sale and purchase agreement (SPA)
Registering the transaction with the land authority
Handover
What to do next

Sources

Dubai Land Department, Request to register the initial sale (Oqood provisional registration) e-service

Frequently asked

Is the process the same for an off-plan and a ready unit?: The first two steps, booking and signing the SPA, are the same. The registration step differs: an off-plan unit is registered in an interim system like Oqood in Dubai, while a ready unit's title transfers directly to the buyer.
When do I get the title deed?: For a ready unit, the title deed is issued at the registration step, before handover. For an off-plan unit, the title deed is typically issued once the project is complete and the final registration is done.
Who registers the transaction with the land authority?: Registration is usually completed by the developer, the seller's agent, or a registration trustee office on behalf of the parties, depending on the emirate and whether the unit is off-plan or ready.
Does this guide state the registration fees?: Fees are not stated, they vary and require a dated source from the relevant land authority. One statutory timeframe is now confirmed for Dubai: an off-plan sale and purchase contract must be registered in the provisional Oqood register within 90 days of signing (checked 12 September 2026, source below); the equivalent deadline for other emirates and the fee amounts are not stated here.