Dubai real estate: 57,300 sales recorded in first four months of 2026
Dubai’s residential property market recorded more than 57,300 sales in the first four months of 2026, as off-plan transactions continued to dominate activity.
According to Cavendish Maxwell, almost 42,500 off-plan properties were purchased between January and April, including 10,231 in April.
Off-plan properties accounted for 74 per cent of all residential sales during the four-month period.
April recorded 13,082 total residential transactions across off-plan and ready homes, up from 12,889 in March.
Total residential sales in the first four months of 2026 were down 2.5 per cent compared with the same period in 2025, according to Cavendish Maxwell.
The ready property market declined 16 per cent year on year during the period.
Overall transactions in April 2026 were about 20 per cent lower than April last year. Off-plan sales were down 14 per cent, while ready home transactions fell 39 per cent.
Ronan Arthur, Director and Head of Residential Valuations at Cavendish Maxwell, said: “Dubai’s real estate market remains strong, with the off-plan sector once again dominating the market and posting an uptick in year-on-year sales. Opportunistic investors remain active, capitalising on attractive deals by motivated sellers. Buyers without an immediate timeline are likely to be adopting a wait and see approach, which is to be expected during periods of uncertainty.
“It is also important to remember that sales data takes several weeks to be reflected in official statistics, so the figures we are seeing for March and April are for deals signed both before and after the conflict began. We will have a clearer picture of market direction when Q2 statistics are available.
“Dubai’s structural fundamentals remain intact, as do the factors that have always supported long-term market attractiveness. The city’s real estate market has navigated challenges before – and constantly bounced back,” he added.
This article was originally published in Arabian Business.
