Dubai closed the third quarter of 2026 with roughly AED 141 billion in combined sales and mortgage transactions, according to a Windmills Group report. Most buyers will never read past that headline. This report shows what actually sold, where, at what price per square foot and what the quarter means if you are buying in Q4.
Why the headline numbers differ
You will see two different Q3 totals in the news and both are right. Windmills counts sales plus roughly AED 49 billion of mortgage registrations, which gives about AED 141 billion. Springfield’s count of sales alone came to AED 90.62 billion across 36,738 residential and commercial transactions, as Arabian Business reported. When a broker quotes you a market size, ask which one they are using. We quote both and say what each contains.
What sold: the quarter in registered numbers
| Measure | Q3 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sales plus mortgage transactions | About AED 141 billion | Windmills via Khaleej Times |
| Sales value, residential and commercial | AED 90.62 billion across 36,738 deals | Springfield via Arabian Business |
| Residential sales | AED 72.58 billion across 33,949 deals | Springfield |
| Off plan residential | AED 41.58 billion across 23,457 deals | Springfield |
| Secondary market residential | AED 30.83 billion across 10,442 deals, value up 24% on Q2 | Springfield |
| Mortgage registrations | About AED 49 billion, level with last year | Windmills |
Two things stand out. Off plan took about 69% of residential deals by count, so the launch market is still doing the volume. But the secondary market grew fastest, up about 24% in value on Q2, which is what a maturing market looks like: owners selling to owners, with registered prices on both sides.
84% of deals were under AED 3 million
The share of transactions below AED 3 million rose to 84.28% in Q3 from 82.45% in Q2, per Springfield’s price band data. The AED 1 million to 3 million band alone took 44% of the market. Dubai’s headlines are written about penthouses. Dubai’s register is written by apartments under AED 3 million.
At the top, the AED 10 million and above segment also had its best quarter of the year: Allsopp and Allsopp recorded sales above AED 10 million up 38% on Q2 in its own book, with finance used in 67% of its purchases, per its Q3 report. British buyers led its client mix at 26%, Indian at 13% and Italian at 5%.
Where the volume went
| Area | Q3 deals | Average price per sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai South | 5,165 | AED 1,690 |
| Jumeirah Village Circle | 2,312, up from 1,992 in Q2 | see our JVC area guide |
| Downtown Jebel Ali | 1,890 | rising on Metro extension demand |
Citywide averages per square foot in the quarter: villas at AED 2,216, apartments at AED 1,794 and townhouses at AED 1,341. Compare any asking price against registered sales in the same building before you sign. Our purchase cost calculator adds the fees the listing leaves out.
Yields: the honest picture
Windmills puts average gross yields at about 7.7% for apartments, 7.0% for villas, 8.5% for shops and 8.2% for offices, per Khaleej Times. Bayut’s Q3 estimates show how wide the spread is inside the city: Dubai Investments Park apartments at 9.5% gross and Discovery Gardens at 8.5%, against 5.5% in Jumeirah Golf Estates and 4.9% at the top of Al Barari, as Arabian Business reports.
Remember these are gross figures. Service charges, management and vacancy sit between a gross yield and what reaches your account. And rents have been easing: CBRE recorded average residential rents down 6.2% on the quarter in Q2 while sale prices held, as Gulf News reported. We covered what that does to yields in Dubai rents are falling.
What we tell buyers going into Q4
- Buy on registered prices, not asking prices. The register is public and we check it for every client.
- In off plan, judge the escrow and the developer’s delivered record before the payment plan. Volume is highest exactly where marketing is loudest.
- The secondary market’s 24% growth means more ready stock with negotiable sellers. A ready unit with a tenant in place has a knowable yield; a launch render does not.
- If a yield pitch starts above 9%, ask which building, which service charge and which quarter’s rent. Bayut’s top areas show 9.5% exists, but only in specific locations at specific price points.
- Rents easing while prices hold means yield compression. Model your purchase at today’s rent, not last year’s.
For what launched this quarter, see every 2026 launch. For last month’s detail, the September report is the companion to this one.
Frequently asked questions
How big was the Dubai property market in Q3 2026?
Roughly AED 141 billion in combined sales and mortgage transactions per Windmills Group, of which sales alone were AED 90.62 billion across 36,738 deals per Springfield Properties. The difference is mortgage registrations of about AED 49 billion.
What was the average price per square foot in Dubai in Q3 2026?
Per Springfield data, villas averaged AED 2,216 per sq ft, apartments AED 1,794 and townhouses AED 1,341 in Q3 2026.
Which Dubai areas had the most sales in Q3 2026?
Dubai South led with 5,165 residential transactions at an average of AED 1,690 per sq ft, followed by Jumeirah Village Circle with 2,312 and Downtown Jebel Ali with 1,890.
What rental yields does Dubai offer in 2026?
Windmills puts average gross yields at about 7.7% for apartments and 7.0% for villas. By area, Bayut’s Q3 estimates range from 9.5% in Dubai Investments Park down to 4.9% at the top of Al Barari. These are gross figures before service charges and vacancy.
Is off plan or ready property selling more in Dubai?
By count, off plan led Q3 2026 with 23,457 residential deals against 10,442 secondary sales. By growth, the secondary market led, with value up about 24% on Q2.
Sources: Khaleej Times on Windmills Group, 29 Oct 2026; Arabian Business on Springfield Properties, 5 Oct 2026; Allsopp and Allsopp Q3 2026 report, 9 Oct 2026; Arabian Business on Bayut Q3 2026 yields, 29 Oct 2026; Gulf News on CBRE Q2 2026. Figures are as published by each source; Cresco has not restated them.