You can sell an off-plan home in Abu Dhabi before it is finished. The sale has its own register, its own deadline and its own fee. Here are the steps and the checks, in order.
Key points
- Off-plan resales are recorded in the Initial Real Estate Register and bind no one until registered.
- Give the new buyer a full copy of your developer's disclosure statement before you sign.
- Register within 21 days of signing: a late registration brings an AED 10,000 fine on the seller.
- DARI lists a 2% resale fee for freehold units; the fee table splits it equally unless agreed otherwise.
- Developers may not charge more than AED 5,000 in administrative fees on a transaction.
The rule in brief
Under Law No. 3 of 2015, every disposal of an off-plan unit is recorded in the Initial Real Estate Register, and it binds no one until it is registered there. Units in that register may be sold, mortgaged or otherwise disposed of under the rules of the law's executive regulation, and the seller is responsible for registering the sale.
Step 1: Read your sale and purchase agreement
Your contract with the developer may set conditions for a resale, such as an amount to be paid first or a request to the developer. Read it, then ask the developer what it needs from you. DARI's resale service asks for an official letter and the sales agreement.
The rules published on ADREC's site (Resolution No. 183 of 2017) bar developers from charging fees on property transactions beyond administrative fees of up to AED 5,000.
Step 2: Prepare what the buyer must receive
Before you sign a resale contract, you must give the new buyer a full copy of the disclosure statement the developer gave you when you bought. This rule is in Administrative Decision No. 25 of 2025; if the copy is not handed over, the buyer may ask to end the contract for breach.
Also prepare:
- Your sale and purchase agreement and every payment receipt, from the Down Payment onwards.
- The payments still to come, so the buyer sees what they take on.
- The project's completion rate and escrow account details, which buyers can check on DARI.
- Your bank's written consent and settlement figure, if you financed the purchase.
Step 3: Register within 21 days
The clock starts when the resale contract is signed. Under Administrative Decision No. 246 of 2015, the seller applies to register the sale straight after signing. If the seller does not register within 21 days, the buyer may apply instead and recover the cost from the seller, even by deducting it from the price.
A late registration also brings a fine of AED 10,000, collected from the seller. DARI's service page repeats the 21 day limit.
Step 4: Pay the registration fee
DARI lists a resale fee of 2% for freehold units and 1% for Musataha. The fee table published by ADREC (Administrative Decision No. 247 of 2015) splits the 2% equally between seller and buyer, with the fee capped at AED 2 million per transaction. DARI's registration page also lists an AED 450 electronic services fee. Agree in writing who pays what, and check the figure DARI calculates before you pay.
Step 5: After completion
When the project is complete, the developer moves each unit from the Initial Real Estate Register to the Real Estate Register in the name of the registered buyer, once that buyer has paid the full price under the registered agreement (the developer must apply within 21 days of that payment). If you resold before completion, the name that moves across is your buyer's.
On Al Reem and Al Maryah Islands, off-plan sales are registered with ADGM through its AccessRP platform, so check its steps and fees for your unit.
Before you list: checklist
- Resale conditions in your agreement read and understood.
- The official letter DARI asks for, requested (ask your developer who issues it).
- A copy of the disclosure statement ready for the buyer.
- Receipts and the remaining payment plan in one file.
- Bank consent, if the purchase is financed.
- A date to register within 21 days of signing, and who pays the fee.
Official sources
Read on 29 October 2026. Rules and fees can change: check the official page before you act.
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