---
title: "Valuation"
canonical: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/valuation
markdown: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/md/glossary/valuation.md
type: glossary-term
description: "A valuation is a professional assessment of a property's market value, most often commissioned by a bank to decide how much it will lend."
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."
---

# Valuation

> A valuation is a professional assessment of a property's market value, most often commissioned by a bank to decide how much it will lend.

Also known as: Bank valuation, Property valuation, Valuation report, Valuation certificate.

## What Valuation means for a buyer

When you apply for a mortgage, the bank instructs a valuer from its approved panel to inspect the property and report its market value. The borrower pays, typically around AED 2,500 to AED 3,500 plus VAT depending on the bank and the property, and the fee is not refunded if the purchase falls through.

The valuation matters because the bank applies its [LTV](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/ltv) to the lower of the agreed price and the valuer's figure. If you agree AED 2 million and the valuation comes in at AED 1.9 million, the loan is calculated on AED 1.9 million and you fund the difference in cash, renegotiate, or withdraw. This is why a mortgage buyer should make [Form F](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/mou-form-f) conditional on the valuation where possible.

Valuers work from recent registered transactions. In a falling or thinly traded market, as parts of Dubai were during 2026, valuations tend to trail asking prices, and unusual properties are harder to support.

There are other kinds of valuation. Land departments issue valuation certificates, which can be requested when the price on an older [title deed](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/title-deed) no longer reflects the property's worth, for example in connection with a [Golden Visa](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/golden-visa) application. Independent valuations are also used for wills, disputes and company accounts.

A valuation is not a survey. It estimates price; it does not check the condition of the building. For that, commission [snagging](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/snagging) or a technical inspection.

## Related terms

- [LTV](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/ltv): Loan-to-value is the share of a property's value a bank will lend; UAE Central Bank rules cap it, and non-residents are usually offered less than the cap.
- [Pre-approval](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/pre-approval): A mortgage pre-approval is a bank's written, conditional indication of how much it will lend you, issued before you have chosen a specific property.
- [Mortgage registration](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/mortgage-registration): Mortgage registration is the recording of a lender's charge against a property at the land department; in Dubai the fee is 0.25% of the loan amount.
- [Price per square foot](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/price-per-square-foot): Price per square foot is a property's price divided by its area in square feet, the standard measure for comparing values across the UAE market.

## In depth

- [Non-resident mortgages in the UAE: how much you can borrow, 2026 rates, fees and how to apply](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/non-resident-mortgages-uae)


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Source page: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/valuation. 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.