Dubai’s property market recorded 37,429 sales transactions worth AED92.9 billion in the third quarter of 2026, with off-plan sales from developers continuing to outpace resales and the rental sector heading for an all-time annual record. Data published in October shows a market running in different gears at once: primary sales driving volume, off-plan sales from developers continuing to outpace resales and the rental sector heading for an all-time annual record.
FAKTA
- Dubai recorded 37,429 property sales worth AED92.9 billion in Q3 2026, according to a fäm Properties analysis published on October 6
- Off-plan primary sales delivered 25,441 transactions worth AED52.6 billion, versus 11,988 resales worth AED40.3 billion
- Just over 67% of secondary-market sales were paid in cash in Q3
- 48,639 rental contracts were registered in September alone, up 22.6% month on month; the first nine months of 2026 reached 298,984 contracts
- Dubai South led off-plan sales for a seventh consecutive month with 5,165 transactions
- Commercial transactions, including offices and shops, rose 27.7% month on month in September to 539 deals worth AED2.2 billion
Dubai property Q3 2026: sales volume holds firm
The Q3 figures, drawn from land department data by fäm Properties, show Dubai’s primary market firmly in the driving seat: developers’ off-plan projects accounted for roughly two-thirds of all sales transactions and more than half of total value. The secondary market, meanwhile, drew significant cash investment, with more than two-thirds of resale deals settled without financing.
A separate market analysis based on DXBinteract data, published on October 5, put Q3 transactions at 36,738 deals worth AED90.62 billion, with residential sales of AED72.58 billion across 33,949 transactions. The small difference between the two analyses reflects different data cuts, but both agree on the shape of the market: off-plan is the dominant residential segment, and the secondary market gained breadth through the quarter.
September brings month-on-month jumps
The quarter closed with a busy September. Plot sales climbed 28.8% from August to 237 plots worth AED3.8 billion, commercial deals including offices and shops rose 27.7% to 539 transactions worth AED2.2 billion, villa sales increased 3.9% to 1,428 homes worth AED8.6 billion, and 9,055 apartments changed hands for AED14.8 billion.
The secondary market was the quarter’s surprise performer: resale value jumped 24.22% and resale volumes rose 22.52% compared with Q2, reaching AED30.83 billion across 10,442 transactions. In a year many analysts describe as a cooling phase for the emirate, buyers shifted toward completed, income-generating properties over paper plans.
Rentals on track for a record year
The rental market is where 2026’s most striking numbers sit. September’s 48,639 registered freehold rental contracts marked a 22.6% month-on-month increase, with new contracts up 25.6% year on year and renewals up 7.6% year on year. Across the first nine months, 298,984 contracts were registered — 6.8% more than the same period of 2025, a year that ultimately set the full-year record of 377,926 contracts.
Firas Al Msaddi, chief executive of fäm Properties, said the data showed the primary sector remaining the main driver of sales activity while the resale market continued to attract significant cash investment, with rental demand sustained across the established freehold sector.
Where the deals happened
Dubai South remained the most active residential location in Q3 with 5,165 transactions at an average of AED1,690 per square foot — its seventh consecutive month at the top of the off-plan rankings. Jumeirah Village Circle followed with 2,312 transactions, up from 1,992 in Q2, while Downtown Jebel Ali ranked third with 1,890. Business Bay, Dubai Creek Harbour and Dubai Marina also stayed among the quarter’s most active locations.
The price bands underline where demand sits: homes below AED3 million made up 84.28% of Q3 transactions, with the AED1 million to AED3 million bracket taking the largest share at 44.04%, followed by homes below AED1 million at 40.24%. Springfield Properties chief executive Farooq Syed said the breadth of development across the city was giving buyers access to more locations, property types and price points, supporting the housing needs of a growing resident population.
Read more on housing pressure worldwide at watannews.dk, including our report on the global housing affordability survey.
Dubai Q3 2026 property numbers at a glance
| Segment | Q3 2026 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Total sales (fäm Properties) | 37,429 deals, AED92.9B | Off-plan leads volume |
| Primary / off-plan | 25,441 deals, AED52.6B | ~68% of transactions |
| Secondary resales | 11,988 deals, AED40.3B | 67% paid in cash |
| Rental contracts (9 months) | 298,984 | +6.8% YoY; record on track |
| Commercial (Sept) | 539 deals, AED2.2B | +27.7% month on month |
| Top location | Dubai South, 5,165 deals | 7th month at the top |
Conclusion
Dubai’s third quarter of 2026 tells a story of a maturing boom rather than a broken one. Off-plan sales kept the transaction count moving, cash-rich buyers anchored the resale market, commercial deals picked up sharply in September, and the rental sector is closing in on an all-time record. Whether the pace can be sustained into 2027 will depend on the pipeline of new launches, population growth and how buyers respond to a market where the easy gains have already been made.
