---
title: "Assignment / resale before handover"
canonical: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/assignment
markdown: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/md/glossary/assignment.md
type: glossary-term
description: "An assignment is the sale of an off-plan purchase contract to a new buyer before the property is completed, with the developer's consent."
publisher: "UAE Property Agents (Omnia)"
language: en-GB
usage: "You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting."
---

# Assignment / resale before handover

> An assignment is the sale of an off-plan purchase contract to a new buyer before the property is completed, with the developer's consent.

Also known as: Off-plan resale, Assignment of SPA, Flipping, Secondary off-plan sale, Transfer before handover.

## What Assignment / resale before handover means for a buyer

A buyer who has signed an [SPA](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/spa) can, in principle, sell their position before [handover](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/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](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/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](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/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](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/mou-form-f), alongside the developer's assignment documents.
3. **Registration.** The transfer is recorded in [Oqood](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/oqood), and the new buyer pays the [4% transfer fee](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/dld-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.

## Related terms

- [SPA](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/spa): The Sale and Purchase Agreement is the binding contract between an off-plan buyer and the developer, setting the price, payment schedule and completion date.
- [Oqood](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/oqood): Oqood is the Dubai Land Department's interim register for off-plan sales: it records the buyer's rights during construction, before a title deed can be issued.
- [NOC](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/noc): A No Objection Certificate is the developer's written confirmation that it does not object to a property being sold, usually because all charges on it are paid.
- [Off-plan](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/off-plan): Off-plan means buying a property from a developer before it is built or finished, paying in stages during construction against a registered contract.
- [ROI](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/roi): Return on investment is the total gain from a property, rental income plus any change in value, measured against the money the buyer actually put in.

## In depth

- [Buying off-plan property in the UAE: how it works and how buyers are protected](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/buying-off-plan-in-the-uae)


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Source page: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/assignment. Published by UAE Property Agents, Omnia Capital Group. You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting.