Dubai Residential Deliveries Surge 38% as Market Moves Into New Phase

Dubai's real estate sector is entering the stage of delivery after achieving its best result in the number of completed buildings in the last few years. As per the information provided by Cavendish Maxwell, 24800 houses were finished in the first half of the year 2026 due to the completion of projects initiated during the previous construction boom.

The number of finished houses grew by around 38% as compared to the first half of the previous year and by 12% as compared to the second half of the previous year, demonstrating the significant transformation of the activity in the sector. The latest data suggests the ongoing interest in Dubai real estate even though it is transitioning to a more balanced growth pace. The report helps to understand the resilience of Dubai properties, underpinned by the already signed contracts for completed houses.

Completing Housing Projects Becomes Easier

There has been a decline in the number of residential developments by real estate builders while the rate of completing projects has escalated during the first half of the year.

Surveys show that:

• 24,800 homes were completed
• 28,000 homes were launched
• 124 projects were completed during the first half of 2026
• Comparison: 102,000 homes were built within 410 projects during the previous year

Cavendish Maxwell says that the market is currently witnessing a shift from a launch-led cycle to one that focuses on project implementation. This situation continues to positively impact in the property investment in Dubai where certainty of delivery is becoming even more valuable for clients. Client confidence remains high especially in regard to the off plan projects in Dubai when transactions involve real estate developers that have displayed their capabilities to complete the construction on time.

Sales Activity Returns to Sustainable Levels

For the first half of 2026 Dubai, there were as many as 79,300 residential unit sales conducted.

When compared to earlier periods:

• About 14% lower in comparison to H1 2025
• 27% less than the highest standards that were achieved in H2 2025

Normalization began even before the regional crisis, following unusually high construction activity in 2024-2025 resulting in increased number of developers who decided to postpone their launches in Q2. In terms of demand, the interest remained high among buyers of apartment for sale in Dubai in both established and new communities. The high volume of housing supply is expected to start increasing the number of offers for property for rent in Dubai gradually.

Off-Plan Market Maintains Dominance

The segment of off-plan properties continues to be the main segment of the Dubai residential market with decreasing transaction volumes.

Major figures from the market include:

• Approximately 75% of residential transactions are represented by the off-plan sector of Dubai housing.
• Transactions in this segment decreased nearly by 9% year-on-year.
• Transactions of ready homes showed a decline of almost 26%.

This development continues to boost the confidence of investors in real estate investment Dubai as demand for newly launched residential development remains high. Even with falling volumes, off plan apartments for sale in Dubai are still the most attractive segment for buyers.

Market Values and Buyer Preferences

Sales estimates of residential properties have shown the shift of the market into the balanced growth phase.

In H1 2026:

• Residential sales amounted to AED221.4 billion ($60.3 billion)
• Off-plan sales accounted for just under AED166 billion ($45.2 billion)
• Ready property sales brought in AED55.5 billion ($15.1 billion)
• Overall sales value were nearly 16% lower than in H1 2025
• Sales values were about 20% lower than in H2 2025

Off-plan properties remained the most dominant, comprising almost about 75% of all residential transactions in H1 2026, but down 9% year-on-year, whereas sales transactions for ready homes fell by nearly 26%. Developer sales accounted for more than 92% of off-plan transactions. Apartments remained the most preferred type of property, accounting for around 84% of transactions.

Another condition that positively affects a buyer's choice is that buyers can find a wide range of properties for sale in Dubai due to the development of many successful communities. The development of communities enables buyers to benefit from the availability of various options to buy ready properties in Dubai.

Communities Leading Transaction Activity

According to Cavendish Maxwell, the top-performing housing areas have been established for each type of market.

The top off-plan apartment locations:

• Dubai South – 7,306 properties sold
• Dubai Residence Complex – 3,408
• Jumeirah Village Circle – 3,055
• Dubai Islands – 2,891
• Majan – 2,402

The top ready apartment locations:

• Jumeirah Village Circle – 1,812
• Business Bay – 1,065
• Dubai Marina – 778
• Downtown Dubai – 613
• Dubai Creek Harbour – 607

The top off-plan villa or townhouse locations:

• DAMAC Islands 2 – 3,192
• The Heights Country Club and Wellness – 898
• The Oasis – 583
• Lunaya – 360
• Grand Polo Club and Resort – 343

The top ready villa or townhouse locations:

• DAMAC Hills 2 – 410
• Dubai South – 190
• DAMAC Lagoons – 185
• The Valley – 176
• The Springs – 168

Such interest indicates continued demand from buyers who want a villa for sale in Dubai, whether in established communities or newer ones. Developments aimed towards families continue attracting interest in townhouses for sale in Dubai.

Prospects in the Housing Industry

Ronan Arthur, Director of Residential Valuations at Cavendish Maxwell, explained that the current housing happenings in Dubai depict a new episode as the city’s property sector enjoys the success of its previous two years of great growth. He assures that even though the fundamentals driving the market remain unchanged. On the other hand, reduction in launches, uncertainty in the region, and the normalization of the activities of buyers will be among the factors determining the number of transactions and prices of the properties in the given sector.

According to the report, the market becomes less and less tense and more and more stable owing to the fact that the delivery of completed developments has become more significant since the development projects start working. Working with a credible real estate company in Dubai can help buyers as well as investors throughout this process of stabilization. The continuous delivery of developed buildings still makes the stakeholders of Dubai real estate market feel more secure as well since the development of the infrastructure continues in Dubai as well as the growth of population.

ALSO READ

• Sobha Realty Plans Its Largest Delivery Programme
• Dubai Sets New Residential Leasing Record With AED17m Villa Deal
• Luxury Off-Plan Market Maintains Strong Momentum