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Dubai’s residential real estate sales value up 36% in H1, says report

The first six months have highlighted a strong, thriving Dubai real estate market, with robust buyer demand and rising sales, according to leading real estate advisory and property consultant, Cavendish Maxwell.

The residential property sector secured over AED262 billion ($71.3 billion) worth of sales in H1, across 91,900 transactions – up 23% year-on-year but down slightly compared to H2 2024, largely because of reduced off-plan activity caused by fewer launches and seasonal factors, stated Cavendish Maxwell in its new insight and analysis.

While off-plan sales still dominate, accounting for more than 70% of transactions, Cavendish Maxwell’s report shows increasing demand for ready properties, which hit record highs between April and June this year, at 14,200 transactions, and a total of 27,400 deals for the whole of H1, representing 10% year-on-year growth.

Off-plan transactions reached 64,500 in H1 – up almost 30% year-on-year but down 4% compared to H2 last year.

While more than 61,800 new units are currently being built, only one in five (21%) of projects scheduled for completion this year have reached 75% or more in terms of construction progress, suggesting potential delays in delivery, the report shows.

Ronan Arthur, Director and Head of Residential Valuation at Cavendish Maxwell, said: "The first six months of the year has highlighted a strong, thriving Dubai real estate market, with robust buyer demand and rising sales. At the same time, we are seeing early signs of moderation in rental price growth – good news for a city focused on attracting new talent and expanding its population."

"Looking ahead, we anticipate that the market will remain resilient, with new project launches and initiatives like the First-Time Buyer programme encouraging new investors to enter the market. With a steady flow of completions in the pipeline, Dubai’s property sector is poised to evolve into a more mature, balanced phase, creating new opportunities and greater accessibility," he added.

Cavendish Maxwell said apartments had a 76.7% off-plan market share in H1 this year, down 5.6% on the same period in 2024.

Meanwhile, the off-plan share for villas and townhouses grew 5% year-on-year as investors opt for larger living space and a garden in master-planned communities. Affordable properties, combined with flexible payment schemes, are also driving villa and townhouse demand.

Apartments also dominate the ready properties sector, with a share of almost 82% in H1, up 1.2% on last year.

The most popular size for both off plan and ready apartments is a one-bedroom unit, accounting for 44% and 41% respectively, followed by two-beds (24.9% and 26.7%). Studios are gaining ground, with their share rising to nearly 25% in the off-plan sector.

In the villa and townhouse sector, four-bed homes dominate off-plan sales, taking 55% of all transactions and reflecting strong demand for family-sized accommodation, stated Cavendish Maxwell in the report.

The market share for five- and six-bed properties has increased, further signalling a healthy appetite for larger homes. In the ready properties segment, three-and four-bed properties are most demand, but five-bed sales grew to a market share of almost 13%, mirroring the demand for larger homes seen in the off-plan market.

On the top developers by volume, the report said Emaar, Damac Properties and Sobha Group continued to dominate the residential market in H1, each retaining their positions in the top developer charts.

Emaar’s performance was supported by strong sales at The Valley and Emaar South; Damac saw robust volumes at Damac Islands and Damac Hills 2, while Sobha Group enjoyed steady at Sobha Solis and Sobha Orbis.

There were also solid performances by Binghatti and Danube Properties, while Beyond made its way into the top 10 for the first time, thanks to rising demand for its Dubai Maritime City developments. The complete top 10: Emaar, Damac, Sobha, Binghatti, Danube, Samana, Nakheel, Azizi, Beyond and Wasl.

According to Cavendish Maxwell, Dubai has more than 61,800 units under construction for the rest of 2025, and more than 100,000 projected for delivery in 2026 and 2027.

Around 300 new projects, with more than almost 88,000 units between them, were launched in H1 – amounting to an average of 490 homes each day, stated the expert.

With an 86% market share, apartments account for the vast majority of new launches, it added