The Off-Plan Resale Guide: Buying a Unit From Another Buyer Before Handover
Updated October 19, 2026 · 5 min read · Sources: DLD (project status enquiry, Oqood), developer NOC policies, trustee offices, Central Bank of the UAE mortgage regulations
Why buyers use assignments
An assignment gets you into a sold-out project or a better phase price without waiting for the next launch, often nearer handover so your capital is committed for less time. The seller gets liquidity before completion. Priced correctly, both sides win; priced on hype, the premium eats your upside before you have keys.
The NOC threshold decides everything
Developers only consent to a resale once the original buyer has paid a minimum share of the price, most commonly 30 to 40%, set project by project. Below the threshold, the deal either waits or the buyer tops the seller up to it at transfer. Confirm the exact percentage with the developer before agreeing anything: it drives the whole cash calculation.
What you actually pay on transfer day
Three buckets: the seller receives their paid equity plus the agreed premium (or minus a discount); the developer receives any overdue instalments and, where relevant, a top-up to the NOC minimum; and the fees, the 4% DLD fee on the full purchase price, the trustee fee, the developer's NOC charge and Oqood re-registration. After transfer, the remaining instalments on the original plan become yours.
| Recipient | What |
|---|---|
| Seller | Paid equity + premium |
| Developer | Overdue amounts + top-up to NOC minimum |
| DLD/trustee | 4% fee + trustee + Oqood |
| Developer | NOC charge (AED 500 to 5,000) |
Where assignments go wrong
The traps repeat: premiums priced off launch hype rather than registered nearby sales; unpaid late-payment penalties surfacing at transfer (they are the seller's, make Form F say so); and buying just before a cliff of instalments without the cash flow to serve them. Every one of these is visible in advance if you ask for the developer statement of account before signing.
Checks before you agree a price
Three records tell you what you are really buying. The developer’s statement of account shows what has been paid, what is overdue and what falls due next. The DLD record confirms the seller’s Oqood registration, and DLD’s project status enquiry, on the DLD website and the Dubai REST app, shows the project’s completion percentage, with the escrow account number listed in the app. The SPA sets the resale threshold, any lock-in period and any developer transfer or admin fee. Then compare the two clocks. DLD’s own guidance says that, because payment schedules are based on completion rates, an investor who receives a payment request from the developer is entitled to know the project’s current completion percentage. If the plan asks for heavy payments while completion is still low, either the price reflects that or the risk sits with you.
A worked example
Take an illustrative unit bought off-plan at AED 1,500,000, with 40% paid and an agreed resale price of AED 1,650,000. On transfer day the seller receives AED 600,000 of paid equity plus the AED 150,000 premium, AED 750,000 in all. The DLD fee is 4% of the full agreed price, AED 66,000, even though only 40% of the original price has been paid, and the trustee fee sits on top, along with the developer’s NOC charge if Form F puts it on you. The remaining AED 900,000 stays on the original payment plan. Your all-in cost by handover is about AED 1,716,000 before the smaller fees. Notice where the premium lands: the AED 150,000 is about 18% of the AED 816,000 you hand over on transfer day, so a premium that looks modest against the price is a large share of your cash.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Original price | AED 1,500,000 |
| Paid by the seller (40%) | AED 600,000 |
| Agreed resale price | AED 1,650,000 |
| To the seller (equity plus premium) | AED 750,000 |
| DLD fee (4% of AED 1,650,000) | AED 66,000 |
| Cash on transfer day, before trustee and NOC fees | AED 816,000 |
| Balance left on the original plan | AED 900,000 |
Financing an assignment
Plan to pay the transfer-day cheques in cash. Under the Central Bank’s mortgage rules, lending on off-plan property is capped at 50% of its value regardless of nationality, and not every bank will lend on every project. In practice that means funding the seller’s equity, any premium and the fees yourself, then financing the balance at or near handover once the unit is complete. If you are relying on a mortgage for the later instalments or the final payment, get the bank to confirm in writing, before you sign Form F, that it will lend on that project and on a resale within it. A bank that will not finance the unit can leave you holding a payment schedule you cannot meet, which is the instalment cliff described above.
Run your numbers before you offer
Our resale transfer calculator models the whole transfer day: original price, agreed price, percentage paid, NOC minimum, overdue amounts and fees, and shows who receives what and your total investment through handover. Use it before you negotiate, not after.
Related questions
What is an off-plan assignment?
The sale of a part-paid off-plan unit from the current buyer to a new buyer before handover, with the developer's consent (NOC). The new buyer takes over the Oqood registration and the remaining payment plan.
When can an off-plan unit be resold?
Once the developer's NOC threshold is met, most commonly 30 to 40% of the original price paid. Some projects restrict resales entirely until a later stage; confirm in writing before you commit.
Do I pay the 4% DLD fee on an assignment?
Yes, on the full agreed purchase price, plus the trustee fee, the developer's NOC charge and Oqood re-registration. Budget the same 4%-plus costs as any purchase.
Is a premium normal?
In demanded projects, yes: you are paying for allocation and time. Judge it against registered sales of comparable stock, not against the seller's asking logic. Sometimes the right premium is negative, especially near heavy instalment dates.
Can I get a mortgage on an off-plan resale?
Only within tight limits. Central Bank rules cap off-plan lending at 50% of value, and not every bank lends on every project, so expect to pay the seller’s equity, any premium and the fees in cash, and get written confirmation of whether a bank will finance the balance at handover.
