Ready-apartment sales recover in Q3 while off-plan still leads the market

Ready apartment sales in Dubai rose to roughly AED 12.8 billion in the third quarter of 2026, from AED 11 billion in the second quarter. That is a gain of 16.4%, according to an Al Masdar Al Aqaari analysis of Dubai Land Department data. Jumeirah Village Circle led the quarter, with 3,062 ready-apartment sales worth about AED 3 billion. Off-plan remains the larger part of the market. In the first half of 2026 it made up about 71% of Dubai's home transactions, based on 87,800 transactions worth AED 291.7 billion reported by Khaleej Times. Engel & Völkers reaches almost the same figure for residential sales (71.3%).

Weekly Land Department data shows the same pattern at a smaller scale. Between 20 and 27 October, Driven Properties counted 1,517 off-plan transactions against 880 ready ones, which puts off-plan at about 63% of those 2,397 deals. The two figures use different periods and definitions, so treat the comparison as a direction rather than a measurement.

What this means: the ready segment is recovering from a weak second quarter, which is good news for owners who want to sell and for end-users who prefer to move in now. Off-plan still sets the pace, and buyers who choose it should check the developer's delivery record and the payment plan before they reserve.