Questions we hear every week

Yes. Non-residents and residents of any nationality can buy freehold property in designated areas, which cover most of new Dubai: Downtown, Marina, Palm Jumeirah, JVC, Dubai Hills, Business Bay and many more. Ownership is registered with the Dubai Land Department and you receive a title deed in your name.

The Dubai Land Department transfer fee is 4 percent of the purchase price, plus a title deed fee and a registration trustee fee. Brokerage commission is customarily 2 percent plus VAT. For off-plan there is an Oqood registration fee. Mortgage buyers add valuation and bank arrangement fees and a mortgage registration fee.

Yes. Freehold property can be held by a UAE onshore or free zone company, and in designated areas by certain foreign companies. Whether it makes sense depends on your tax residence and succession planning. We coordinate with your tax adviser before you decide.

Yes, from several UAE banks, typically up to 50 to 60 percent of the value for non-residents and up to 80 percent for residents on a first property, subject to income and age. We work with independent mortgage advisers who compare the banks for you.

A ready property with a cash buyer can transfer in two to four weeks from signed MOU. With a mortgage, six to eight weeks is realistic. Off-plan reservations are signed within days; completion follows the developer's schedule.

Gross yields typically range from 5 to 9 percent per year depending on the community. JVC sits at the upper end, Palm Jumeirah at the lower end. Net yields after service charges, management and vacancy are usually 1.5 to 3 percentage points lower. We always calculate net.

That is our core business. Tenant sourcing, Ejari, cheque collection, maintenance coordination, DEWA and chiller, monthly statements and an annual report. You see everything, you do nothing.

Annual fees per square foot set by the building's owners' association and approved by RERA, covering security, cleaning, pool, gym, lifts and reserve fund. They range from about AED 10 to 30 per square foot depending on building and community. Always ask for the current figure and two years of history before you buy.

Only with a holiday home permit from the Department of Economy and Tourism and, in most buildings, the owners' association's approval. Some buildings prohibit it. We check both before you buy if short-term letting is part of your plan.

Annual rent is usually paid in one to four post-dated cheques, occasionally monthly by bank transfer. The tenancy is registered with Ejari, which is required for DEWA, visas and any dispute. Rent increases are capped by the RERA rental index.

Passport, visa or entry stamp, Emirates ID if you have one, and cheques or a bank transfer for the rent, plus a security deposit of typically 5 percent (unfurnished) or 10 percent (furnished). We register the contract with Ejari and hand over the keys with a photo inspection.

Customarily the tenant pays 5 percent of the annual rent plus VAT to the agency on signing. Landlords who manage through HFO do not pay a separate letting fee.

A property investment of at least AED 2 million as valued by the DLD qualifies for the 10-year Golden Visa, with spouse and children sponsored. Off-plan and mortgaged property can qualify under conditions we verify at the time of application.

No minimum stay is required for the Golden Visa, as long as you keep the qualifying property and renew on time. This is one of its main advantages over an employment visa.

You speak to the same adviser from the first call to your tenant's second renewal. We are independent of developers, so we say no to projects we would not buy ourselves, and we support the ownership, not just the transaction.

Yes. Roughly a third of our clients today are Dubai residents of many nationalities. Our process, documentation and advice are the same in English and German.

By commission on transactions and by management fees on managed properties, all agreed in writing before we start. We do not accept undisclosed developer incentives on top of what we tell you.