Reviewed 21 October 2026
An attractive image, a discount and a short reservation deadline do not answer the central questions: exactly what are you buying, from whom and where will the money go? Use this guide to organise evidence before paying. Legal validity still requires local review of the specific property, parties and contract.
Distinguish the brand from the contracting seller
Verify the legal company, authorised signatory and right to sell. Understand the relationship between developer, landowner and broker. A familiar project name may appear above a contract with another entity. Match land, phase and unit identifiers across documents. A business card or booking receipt does not replace evidence of authority.
Check land rights and phase-specific permissions
Request evidence of the land interest, restrictions and permits for the proposed phase and activity. Ownership, allocation, leasehold and foreign-buyer rules differ between countries. Have an independent lawyer verify documents with the relevant authority. A preliminary approval or marketing announcement alone does not establish permission to sell the particular unit.
Trace payment to the correct account
The Dubai Land Department explains project escrow and status checks; the Saudi Real Estate General Authority explains off-plan licensing. Establish which rules apply to your project and verify payment details independently. Do not import one country’s safeguards into another contract or pay a personal account because someone promises faster processing.
Turn handover into a testable obligation
Read definitions of completion, handover, permitted use, grace periods, utilities, finishing, area and allowed changes. Ask about delay notices, evidence, compensation, termination, refunds and disputes. A stated penalty is not proof that collection will be simple or cover every loss. Require important verbal assurances to appear in the signed documentation.
Calculate net return
A teaching example: purchase 200,000 currency units, entry and furnishing costs 20,000, collected annual rent 15,000, and estimated operating, maintenance and vacancy costs 5,000. Net income is 10,000: about 4.55% of the 220,000 invested, before financing and tax. Dividing 15,000 by the purchase price alone produces 7.5% while hiding significant costs. These are hypothetical assumptions, not a market forecast.
Stress-test the weaker outcome
Recalculate with lower rent, more vacancy, higher maintenance, a year’s delivery delay and currency changes affecting instalments. Estimate cash needed without rental income and the costs and time of selling. Asking prices do not prove completed transactions or a quick exit. Distinguish bookings, signed sales, collected cash and actual handovers.
Build a document folder before transferring money
Include seller and broker details, land and permit evidence, unit plan and specifications, instalments, reservation and refund conditions, contract and annexes, service charges and account confirmation. List missing items with responsibility and a deadline. A broad claim of confidentiality is a reason to seek a workable independent verification route, not to substitute a discount for evidence.
Choose: proceed, clarify or stop
Separate verified facts, unresolved questions and risks you can actually finance. Do not use a score that conceals a decisive defect such as absence of selling authority. Keep the advertisement, offer and correspondence. Our Egypt property-buyer guide discusses the wider context of contract protection and delayed delivery.
Frequently asked questions
Does escrow eliminate risk?
No. Check applicable safeguards, contract and project; an account does not guarantee every delivery date or investment return.
Is expected price growth enough?
No. Test holding costs, liquidity, demand and your ability to finance a weaker outcome.
Should I reserve before reading the terms?
Understand refundability and commitment first, and review essential evidence before risking the deposit.
A question to discuss
Which document or contract term do you wish you had checked before your last purchase?
