Sales of finished homes in Dubai rose 18.5% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the second, according to property consultancy ValuStrat's quarterly review. It counted 9,491 resale transactions worth about AED 25 billion between July and September.
Off-plan registrations totalled 24,375 in the quarter, 10.1% fewer than in Q2. Off-plan still made up most of the market, at 70.3% of residential sales in September.
01Where resales happened
| Area | Share of Q3 2026 resales |
|---|---|
| Jumeirah Village Circle | 12.8% |
| Business Bay | 6.0% |
| Dubai Marina | 5.3% |
| Downtown Dubai | 3.8% |
ValuStrat Q3 2026 Dubai review, as reported by Arabian Post and Zawya on 29 October 2026.
Homes priced under AED 1 million made up about a third of all resales. Jumeirah Village Circle was the busiest community by a wide margin, with more than twice the share of Business Bay in second place.
02Prices
The average resale price was AED 1,627 per sq ft, 4.4% lower than in Q2 and 1.5% lower than a year earlier. Part of that change reflects the mix of homes sold in the quarter rather than lower prices for the same homes.
ValuStrat's citywide residential price index stood at 218.6 points at the end of September, 4.5% lower than a year before. The consultancy said month-on-month moves had slowed considerably by September. Its prime villa index was up 1.2% on the year.
03Handovers
About 33,000 homes had been completed in Dubai by the end of September, according to the review. That is under a third of the deliveries projected for the full year.
04What it means if you are buying off-plan
Resale prices give you a benchmark. With the average resale at AED 1,627 per sq ft, compare any launch price with finished homes of a similar size in the same community. In JVC, off-plan options include Skyhills Residences 3.
Liquidity is deepest in a few districts. JVC, Business Bay, Dubai Marina and Downtown Dubai together accounted for nearly 28% of resales. Homes in busy resale areas are generally easier to sell on after handover. Projects there include Binghatti Aquarise, Marina Cove and DWTN Residences.
Different counts, same picture. ValuStrat's off-plan total differs slightly from our own count of Dubai Land Department registered sales for the quarter, as the two use different methods. Read Dubai off-plan sales, Q3 2026 for the registered-sales figures, and Dubai asking prices hold steady in Q3 2026 for advertised prices.
ProjectsProjects in this story.
SourcesWhere this story comes from.
Sources
- Arabian Post: Dubai residential resales climb as off-plan transactions contract, 29 October 2026
- Zawya: Dubai property resale market soars as off-plan demand slows
Corrections
- No corrections to this story. If something has changed or is wrong, tell us and we will correct it and log the change here.
30 Oct 2026, 06:31 GST · Reported by OffPlan Insider Newsdesk, checked against the developer's own material before publication.
