Around 34,000 residential transactions worth roughly AED 72.6 billion were recorded in Dubai in the third quarter of 2026. According to Cavendish Maxwell, that is 38% fewer deals and 47% less value than in the same period of 2025.
Off-plan homes continued to dominate, accounting for 65% of sales value and 72% of purchases. September alone saw about 10,300 transactions with a combined value of almost AED 23.2 billion.
For the first nine months of the year, the consultancy counts 112,580 transactions worth AED 292 billion, down 23% and 27% respectively year on year. Cavendish Maxwell notes that part of the decline reflects delayed registrations now being processed, since quarterly data mixes recent and earlier purchases.
The National also cites S&P Global Ratings, which, using Dubai Land Department data, calculates that average monthly sale transactions from March to September were 26% below the January–February level. S&P estimates that prices fell by 5% to 15% between the end of 2025 and September 2026. The Iran war began in late February 2026.
There is another side too. September alone, with over 10,000 transactions, was still a busy month, and according to DLD data total sales value for the first nine months remains above 2024 and 2023. For buyers, a calmer market means more choice, more time to compare and more room to negotiate than in the record year 2025. Those who think long term can use a period like this to step in with a clear view.
