Quick answer: Dubai recorded 11,600 property sales worth AED 27.89 billion in August 2026, plus 3,390 mortgages worth AED 14.36 billion. Sales were 15.7% lower than June, Dubai's seasonal high, but the softness is not only seasonal: ValuStrat's analysis of Dubai Land Department data shows ready-home sales 20.6% lower than August 2025 and off-plan registrations 40.4% lower. The average sale still edged up to AED 2.40 million, deals above AED 10 million rose from 149 in June to 193, and Dubai's priciest properties kept trading. Prices barely moved in August itself (−0.2% on ValuStrat's index) but are about 10% below February.
August is normally the quietest month in the Dubai property calendar. Half the city is still away, and viewings slow to a trickle. So when sales dropped, it was tempting to put it all down to the season. The full Dubai Land Department data tells a more nuanced story: a genuine slowdown against last year, a weak spot in off-plan, and a top end that carried on regardless. Here is the breakdown.
Fig. 1 — August 2026 in eight numbers: 11,600 sales worth AED 27.89B, an average ticket of AED 2.40M, AED 14.36B in mortgage lending, a 68.5% off-plan share by count, and 95% of this year's villa handovers already absorbed. Source: Sherwoods Property analysis of Dubai Land Department data.
The Headline Numbers
Dubai recorded 11,600 property sales worth AED 27.89 billion between 1 and 31 August. Add 3,390 mortgage transactions worth AED 14.36 billion, and combined sales-and-mortgage activity reached 14,990 transactions worth AED 42.25 billion. The average sale carried a ticket of AED 2.40 million, up slightly from AED 2.37 million in June — fewer buyers, but a little more spent per deal.
A note on the numbers. Every figure in this article derives from Dubai Land Department data, but analysts count it differently. The totals above include apartments, villas, buildings and land (10,123 of the 11,600 were residential units). Projectory Research counts 11,147 "home" sales worth AED 21.43 billion, and ValuStrat's tally of ready and off-plan registrations adds up to roughly 11,050 residential sales. Treat the direction and relative size of each movement as more reliable than any single total.
June vs. August: Read the Comparison Carefully
Against June, August looks soft: sales volume fell 15.7%, from 13,766 transactions to 11,600, and sales value dropped 14.6%, from AED 32.66 billion to AED 27.89 billion. June was the strongest month since April, so some decline was always on the cards.
Fig. 2 — June versus August 2026: volume and value both eased, while the average ticket size rose. Source: Sherwoods Property analysis of DLD data.
But a comparison with June cannot tell you whether August was weak for August. A year-on-year comparison can, because it strips out the summer dip — and it is less comfortable reading.
Fig. 3 — Ready-home sales (3,038) fell 14.3% on July and 20.6% on August 2025; off-plan registrations (8,016) fell 15.4% on July and 40.4% on a year earlier. Source: ValuStrat analysis of DLD data via Property Portfolio Investor, 16 September 2026.
Off-plan is where the weakness is concentrated. Even so, it still accounted for 73% of residential sales in August, so a 40% annual fall in registrations is a large swing in the market's biggest segment.
What Actually Sold
By asset type, individual units — apartments and villas — accounted for 10,123 of August's sales, or 87.3%. Land made up 6.8% (793 deals) and whole buildings 5.9% (684 deals).
Fig. 4 — Nearly nine in ten August transactions were individual residential units. Source: Sherwoods Property analysis of DLD data.
With land and whole-building deals — the usual footprint of developers and institutions — at under 13% of the count, August was mainly a month of individual end-users and investors rather than portfolio repositioning.
Where Activity Held Up: The Top End
While the broad market slowed, the top of it kept trading. Sherwoods reports that deals above AED 10 million rose from 149 in June to 193 in August, and that transactions of AED 5 million and above rose by roughly 30% (the comparison period for that second figure is not specified in the report). In ValuStrat's data there were 14 ready-property sales above AED 30 million in August, 12 of them above AED 50 million, concentrated in Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Hills, District One, Jumeirah Bay Island, Al Barari and Dubai Marina. The month's largest recorded sale was a Palm Jumeirah villa at AED 110 million, and the largest off-plan sale was an Emirates Hills villa at AED 97.75 million.
Fig. 5 — Deals above AED 10 million rose between June and August even as the broader market slowed. Source: Sherwoods Property; Edwards & Towers.
This does not mean luxury prices are rising: valuation data shows some of the most famous addresses have seen the steepest value falls this year (see our September market review). It means well-funded buyers continued to transact where they saw value.
Mortgages: Leverage Lives in Ready Homes
August's 3,390 mortgage transactions averaged roughly AED 4.24 million each, well above the AED 2.40 million average sale, because lending skews towards higher-value assets including land and whole buildings. Mortgage activity was concentrated almost entirely in completed property, which is structural: banks lend readily against finished homes and rarely against anything still under construction. If financing is part of your plan, ready stock is where the lending happens; off-plan is typically funded through developer payment plans.
Off-Plan: A Project Story, Not a City Story
Off-plan sales are dominated by a handful of launches. In ValuStrat's August data, Azizi captured 22.6% of developer sales, ahead of Emaar (10%), Damac (7.6%), Binghatti (5.6%), Imtiaz (4.6%) and Sobha (4.2%). Azizi Venice alone took 19.8% of all off-plan transactions, followed by Jebel Ali Downtown (7.7%) and Jumeirah Village Circle (4.7%). Among ready homes, Jumeirah Village Circle led with 12.1% of sales, ahead of Business Bay (6.1%) and Dubai Marina (5.9%).
Community-level totals in fast-growing corridors are heavily shaped by individual launches, so "off-plan is performing well" is no longer a useful sentence on its own. The right questions are which developer, which project, which payment structure — and what else is handing over nearby.
The Villa Squeeze, and Its Limits
Sherwoods reports that 95% of 2026 villa handovers have already been sold, making family villas in the AED 3–5 million band the most supply-constrained segment in the market. That scarcity is real, but it has not shielded villa values from the wider reset: ValuStrat's index shows villas down 1.7% year-on-year in August, the first annual fall for the segment since 2021, with big community differences — Jumeirah Islands up 12.2%, Mudon down 8.2%. Scarcity supports demand; it does not guarantee price growth.
Update: What September Added
Dubai Land Department data published on 1 October shows September sales of AED 29.66 billion across 11,430 transactions — about 6% more in value than August on a similar number of deals — with mortgage registrations of AED 16.79 billion. Ready-property sales (AED 16.03 billion) again outweighed off-plan (AED 13.63 billion) by value. We analyse the full picture in our Dubai property market September 2026 review.
What This Means for You
- Buying below AED 2 million? You have more choice and more negotiating room than a year ago, particularly in secondary stock. A strong new launch can still draw hundreds of competing buyers, so check how much of a project is already sold.
- Looking at a family villa at AED 3–5 million? Supply is tight, but check the specific community: villa values range from strongly positive to clearly negative depending on where you look.
- Need a mortgage? Focus on completed property — that is where August's AED 14.36 billion in lending went.
- Buying off-plan? Do not rely on the citywide share. Vet the developer, project, payment plan and nearby handover pipeline.
- Shopping above AED 10 million? Expect competition from well-funded buyers, even in a quiet month.
- Selling? With annual sales volumes well below last year's, accurate pricing matters more than it has in years.
The Bottom Line
August 2026 was not a collapse, but it was more than a seasonal dip. Sales were well below a year earlier, off-plan registrations fell sharply, and the market's strength was concentrated at the very top and in ready homes. The best way to read any single month now is the way the data itself suggests: look past the citywide total to the segment, the community and the project.
Want to know where your building or budget sits in this data? Get in touch and we will show you, rather than quote the citywide average. For the wider context, see our September 2026 market review and our review of how the market has behaved through regional conflict.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many properties sold in Dubai in August 2026?
Dubai recorded 11,600 sales worth AED 27.89 billion in August 2026, including apartments, villas, buildings and land (10,123 were residential units). Including 3,390 mortgages worth AED 14.36 billion, combined sales and mortgage activity was 14,990 transactions worth AED 42.25 billion. Other trackers count residential sales slightly differently, at roughly 11,050 to 11,150.
Did Dubai property prices fall in August 2026?
Only marginally in the month itself. ValuStrat's residential price index eased 0.2% in August, but values are about 10.2% below February and 3.1% below a year earlier. The average sale price (AED 2.40 million) edged up, but that reflects the mix of properties sold rather than a change in prices.
Were Dubai property sales lower than last year in August 2026?
Yes. ValuStrat's analysis of Dubai Land Department data shows ready-home sales 20.6% lower than August 2025 and off-plan registrations 40.4% lower. Part of the fall from June is seasonal, but the year-on-year comparison shows genuine weakness.
Which areas and developers led Dubai property sales in August 2026?
Among off-plan sales, Azizi led developers with a 22.6% share, ahead of Emaar (10%) and Damac (7.6%); Azizi Venice alone took 19.8% of off-plan transactions. Among ready homes, Jumeirah Village Circle led with 12.1% of sales, followed by Business Bay (6.1%) and Dubai Marina (5.9%).
What did Dubai's September 2026 transaction data show?
Dubai recorded 11,430 sales worth AED 29.66 billion in September, about 6% more in value than August, plus AED 16.79 billion in mortgage registrations. Total real estate transactions, including mortgages and gifts, were AED 50.78 billion across 16,490 deals.
Figures are drawn from Dubai Land Department data as reported by the sources above, which define and count categories differently; where they differ, this article attributes each figure. The ValuStrat index is valuation-based, not an average of transaction prices. This article is for general information only and is not financial or investment advice. Always verify current figures with the Dubai Land Department before making a decision.
