This guide explains the procedure step by step. If you are ready to sell, the off-plan sale page explains how we help.
What an off-plan assignment is
When you buy off-plan, you sign a sale and purchase agreement with the developer and pay in instalments under a payment plan. Until handover, there is no title deed in your name. What you own is a set of contractual rights: the right to receive the finished unit once you have paid the full price.
An assignment transfers those rights to someone else. The new buyer takes your place in the SPA, repays what you have already paid to the developer, plus any premium you agree, and takes over the remaining instalments. From then on, the developer deals with the new buyer.
Owners sell before handover for many reasons: a change of plans, a need for capital, or a decision to move into a different property. The procedure is the same whatever the reason.
What the developer requires
The paid threshold
Your SPA sets the minimum share of the purchase price you must have paid before the developer will allow an assignment. There is no single legal percentage for every project. The developer checks that threshold against your statement of account.
Read the resale or assignment clause in your SPA first. Then ask the developer for a statement of account showing what you have paid, because that is the figure the developer will check.
The NOC and its fee
The developer issues an NOC only when its conditions are met, including the paid threshold and any overdue instalments. Each developer sets its own NOC fee, so the amount is confirmed with the developer for your unit before you sign Form F.
Oqood registration and Law No. 13 of 2008
Oqood is the interim real estate register kept by DLD for off-plan units. Every off-plan sale, including the first sale by the developer and every later assignment, is recorded there.
Law No. 13 of 2008 on the interim real estate register provides that a sale of an off-plan unit not registered in the interim register is void. An assignment becomes legally effective once it is registered. Once the assignment is registered, the buyer appears in Oqood as the holder of the rights, and at handover the title deed is issued in the buyer's name.
The steps of an assignment
- Check the SPA. Confirm that the contract allows an assignment now and note the developer's conditions.
- Get a statement of account. Ask the developer for an up-to-date statement of what you have paid.
- Find a buyer and agree terms. Agree the price the buyer pays you, separate from the instalments they take over.
- Sign Form F. You and the buyer sign the standard memorandum of understanding (MOU), which records the price, the deposit, the remaining instalments and who pays which fees.
- Apply for the NOC. You apply to the developer, pay the NOC fee and settle any overdue instalments.
- Register in Oqood. The assignment is registered with DLD, the fees are paid and the buyer becomes the new party to the SPA.
Costs of an assignment
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| DLD registration | calculated under the current DLD schedule, split as agreed in Form F | Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013, DLD Oqood service |
| Developer NOC | set by the developer, and we confirm the amount for your case | developer |
Who pays the DLD fee is agreed between you and the buyer in Form F. Check every amount against the current DLD fee schedule on the day of the sale. For the costs of selling ready property, see the guide to selling costs in Dubai.
Selling a mortgaged off-plan unit
Some off-plan units are financed by a bank before handover. In that case the bank is a party to the sale too. It issues a letter with the outstanding amount, and the loan is settled as part of the assignment so the developer and DLD can register the new buyer. Ask your bank early, because its letter is often the slowest document to obtain, and its conditions depend on the bank and the SPA.
How we help
We help you sell off-plan units to cash buyers on our list. On the first call we read your SPA, check your statement of account and look at the developer's resale conditions. If an assignment is possible now, we present the unit privately to buyers whose criteria fit it. Sellova is a brand of CARPE DIEM REAL ESTATE L.L.C, a licensed agency, so we prepare Form F, coordinate the NOC with the developer and take the assignment through Oqood registration. You can also read how a cash proposal works.
Frequently asked questions
How much do I need to have paid to sell off-plan?
Your SPA and your developer set the threshold, not a general law. Check the resale clause in your SPA and ask the developer for a statement of account.
What if the developer refuses the NOC?
Without an NOC, the assignment cannot be registered in Oqood, so the sale cannot go ahead. A refusal usually means a condition in the SPA is not met yet, such as the paid threshold or overdue instalments. Once you meet the condition, you can apply again.
Who pays the DLD fee on an assignment?
You and the buyer agree in Form F who pays the fee. It is calculated under the current DLD schedule and is paid when the assignment is registered in Oqood.
Does the buyer take over the payment plan?
Yes. The buyer steps into your place in the SPA and takes over the remaining instalments with the developer. You and the buyer agree in Form F what the buyer pays you for the amount you have already paid.
Can I sell a mortgaged off-plan unit?
Yes, with your bank involved. The bank issues a letter with the outstanding amount, and the loan is settled as part of the assignment so the developer and DLD can register the new buyer. Ask your bank for the letter early.
How long does an assignment take?
There is no fixed time. It depends on the SPA, the developer's NOC, the payment statement, any bank involvement and Oqood registration.
Send us your off-plan unit details
We will check the SPA terms and help you sell to a cash buyer.