Assignment / resale before handover

A buyer who has signed an SPA can, in principle, sell their position before handover. The new buyer pays the seller what the seller has paid the developer so far, plus or minus an agreed premium or discount, and takes over the remaining instalments of the payment plan. The practice is often called flipping.

It is not an automatic right. The steps in Dubai are:

1. Developer consent. The developer must issue an NOC. Most SPAs allow this only after a set share of the price has been paid, commonly somewhere between 30% and 50%, and some prohibit resale until completion. The developer charges an administration fee.
2. Contract. Buyer and seller sign a sale contract, usually Form F, alongside the developer's assignment documents.
3. Registration. The transfer is recorded in Oqood, and the new buyer pays the 4% transfer fee on the sale price.

The costs explain why short-term gains are harder than they look. The seller has already paid 4% on the original purchase and will not get it back, and agents' commission and the developer's fee come off the proceeds. Prices generally need to rise by a clear margin before a seller breaks even.

Liquidity is the second issue. Buyers for unfinished units are plentiful in a rising market and scarce in a falling one, as sellers found in Dubai during 2026, while instalments remain due. Do not buy off-plan on a plan you can only afford if you sell before completion.