Asset Comparison

How to compare

Making a Dubai comparison like for like

Two listings rarely describe themselves the same way. These are the checks that make the numbers comparable before you decide anything.

What should you compare between two Dubai properties?

Start with the figures that normalise across listings: price per square foot, annual service charge per square foot, and gross yield calculated on realistic achieved rent rather than the asking rent. Then compare what a spec sheet will not tell you, which is floor level and view, walking distance to the nearest Metro station, handover date if either unit is off-plan, and whether the property is vacant or comes with a sitting tenant. Two apartments in the same tower can carry very different prices on floor and view alone, so a comparison that stops at bedroom count is not really a comparison.

How do you compare price per square foot between Dubai listings?

Divide the asking price by the area, then check that both listings quote the same kind of area. Dubai listings sometimes quote built-up area and sometimes the internal suite area, and in apartments with large balconies the two can differ enough to reverse which property looks cheaper. Ask for the area recorded on the title deed with the Dubai Land Department for both units before treating the numbers as like for like.

Why do service charges change which property is the better buy?

Service charges are billed per square foot per year, set by each building’s owners association under RERA oversight, and they vary widely. A branded tower can sit near the top of the AED 25 to 35 per square foot band while a villa community sits nearer AED 3 to 8. Over a long hold that gap compounds and can outweigh a lower purchase price entirely. Ask for the current service-charge schedule for each specific building, not a community average, before you compare.

Should you compare gross or net rental yield?

Compare gross first, because that is the figure both listings will quote and it lets you line them up quickly. Then recalculate net before you decide anything. Net deducts service charges, management fees and an allowance for vacancy, and it typically lands about one to one and a half points below gross. Two properties showing the same gross yield can separate clearly once those costs come out, which is why gross is a screening tool and net is the decision.

How many properties should you shortlist before viewing?

Three is the practical limit for a genuine side-by-side. Past that the exercise stops being a decision and turns into a survey, and the criteria that actually matter get diluted. If more than three still feel equally strong, one of your criteria is not doing any work. Usually it is budget or area that needs tightening.