If you are looking to buy real estate in Dubai, you may wonder whether certain times of the year are better to make an investment.
Does the month you buy real estate have an impact on whether you are able to find a good property and negotiate a better price?
Keep reading to find out!
First, let’s look at sales statistics.
Do Property Prices Vary by Month?
We analyzed property prices on a monthly basis for 12 years between 2011 and 2023.
Here, we can clearly see that real estate prices in Dubai tend to be higher in the months of October, November, and February.
Dubai’s hot desert climate means that tourists, investors, and residents tend to spend the summers outside the city and country.
As residents return after their summer break, and tourist numbers climb at the start of tourist season in October, demand for real estate invariably picks up, in return leading to a rise in prices.
Interestingly, December, a peak month for tourist numbers due to the Christmas and New Year holidays, is not seeing further price increases. It is in January and February that prices again tend to be higher before they taper off in March and April.
Why Are Property Prices Lowest in April, on Average?
A probable reason is that property sellers are lowering asking prices for unsold real estate which didn’t find buyers during the peak winter season.
Overall, the difference in average property prices between the low and high months of April and November is 6.5%.
Thus, in theory, you may be able to benefit from lower prices right at the end of tourist season.
Nonetheless, it is important to keep in mind that monthly pricing trends are just a small part of Dubai’s property market.
Monthly pricing trends tend to be overshadowed by multi-year economic cycles, as we discuss in detail in another article on Dubai's real estate cycles.
Now let’s look at another statistic. Sales figures.
Are certain months of the year busier in terms of sales transactions?
The answer is yes. In fact, the number of real estate sales transactions fluctuates in a very similar fashion to property prices.
Sales transactions, or the number of apartments and houses sold are at their bottom in June.
Not only are there hardly any tourists during the summer months in Dubai. Many local residents with the means to leave the country do so for the summer.
With fewer people spending time in Dubai, there are also fewer potential buyers and as a result fewer property transactions.
Noticeably, August is an outlier here.
School terms start at the end of August and the beginning of September depending on school, and families return to Dubai or newly arrive in Dubai in time.
That’s why we are seeing an uptick in property sales transactions at the end of August.
Just like we saw with our monthly price statistics, October and November are peak months for property transactions. Tourists start arriving again in larger numbers, and some of them make use of the opportunity to buy local real estate.
Interestingly, the dip in property prices in April is not reflected to the same extent in property transactions. That’s likely because lower prices help prop up property sales numbers.
Again, we need to be careful not to read too much into these statistics.
Regarding sales transaction numbers, once we zoom out we see that monthly fluctuations are relatively minor, with just a 16% difference between the low and high months of June and October.
If you liked this article, check out our other posts on the Dubai Property market here on our website.
Alternatively, hire us, to find you a property investment.
We are Dubai’s only 100% independent real estate advisors and have never earned a commission.
We analyze the entire Dubai property market to help investors find real estate that suits their lifestyle needs and makes financial sense.
We assess rental yields and appreciation potential for all Dubai neighborhoods based on a large number of factors.
Get your personalized investment analysis today.
Define your investment budget and objective, and hire us for a 100% independent real estate market analysis.
And if you have questions on how we can assist you with any special requests, simply sign up for a free consultation.
Comments