Dubai Records 16,099 Transactions in February

The real estate market continued its upward trend highlighting a 35% increase

Property Finder, the well-known real estate portal in the MENA region, recently announced the market performance highlights for February 2025. According to its proprietary data, around 16,099 transactions were recorded, leading to a 35%₁ increase compared to February 2024. The value of these transactions increased by 55%, totalling to AED 51.1 billion.

Ownership Insights

1. 34% of people who seek to own or invest in properties were searching for one-bedroom units, with 37% showing an inclination for two-bedroom apartments and 13% for studios.
2. Seekers for villas/townhouses included 39% searching for three-bedroom units and 47% for four-bedroom or larger options.
3. Popular areas for apartment ownership were Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Village Circle, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, and Palm Jumeirah.
4. Dubai Hills Estate, Dubai Land, Al Furjan, Palm Jumeirah, and Damac Hills 2 were the most desired areas to own villas/townhouses.

Rental Trends

1. Roughly 64% of tenants looking for apartments preferred furnished properties, while 34% turned to unfurnished options.
2. Tenants who sought villas/townhouses showed a difference in preference, with around 58% searching for unfurnished units and 42% going for furnished properties.
3. When searching for apartments, 36% of tenants were looking for one-bedroom units, while 32% expressed a preference for two-bedroom apartments and 20% for studios.
4. 41% of tenants looked for three-bedroom villas and 39% searched for four-bedroom or larger options.
5. Additionally, the demand for furnished villas and townhouses surged to 47% in February 2025, up from 36% a year ago, while furnished apartment searches rose to 59%, compared to 45% in 2024.
6. Top areas searched to rent apartments included Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, and Deira.
7. Jumeirah, Dubai Hills Estate, Damac Hills 2, Dubai Land, and Al Furjan were popular when it came to searches to rent villas/townhouses.

Off-plan vs Existing Market:

1. In February 2025, the ready market recorded 6,997 transactions, up from 5,522 transactions in February 2024, reflecting a 27% increase in volume and a 53% increase in value.
2. Leading the surge, Burj Khalifa recorded AED 3.1 billion across 334 deals, while Al Yelayiss 1 saw a remarkable jump, reaching AED 2.4 billion, up from AED 96 million.The off-plan market remained strong with a significant increase of 57% in transaction value, recording AED 20.5 billion, compared to AED 13 billion in February 2024.
3. In terms of value, Wadi Al Safa 5 recorded AED 2.2 billion across 1,073 transactions, while Al Al Yufrah 1 experienced substantial growth, reaching AED 1.4 billion, up from AED 184 million.

Cherif Sleiman, Chief Revenue Officer at Property Finder, said, “Dubai’s real estate market continues to demonstrate remarkable strength, with sustained growth in off-plan transactions reinforcing the city’s position as a prosperous investment hub.  Building further on this positive outlook, as regulators work to ease the business setup processes, we are witnessing a direct correlation between real estate expansion and Dubai’s ability to attract top-tier talent and entrepreneurs from around the globe.”

“Coming out of a dynamic year, the country’s commitment to innovation and long-term growth remains constant. This leads to increased international interest towards our resilient market, as recent data from the Ministry of Investment highlights how the nation is seen as a destination where people can truly build their future.”