Before handover, a seller may be transferring a registered interest in an off-plan unit rather than title to a completed home. The distinction affects the documents, buyer disclosure and registration evidence. The safest starting point is not a generic resale percentage. It is the exact sale and purchase agreement (SPA), initial registration record and developer account for the unit being sold.
What the seller is offering
Ask the developer and the relevant registrar to identify the unit's current status. Has the original SPA been recorded in the Initial Real Estate Register? Is the seller named in that record? Is the development still off-plan or has it moved to completed title? These questions determine which transfer route needs examination.
The ADREC registration collection includes Law No. 3 of 2015 provisions on the Initial Real Estate Register. Article 27 describes registration of dispositions relating to off-plan units. Article 28 places responsibility for registering an assignment on the assignor, with a route for the assignee if that is not done, unless the chairman decides otherwise. The collection contains more than one instrument and should not be read as a complete, current service instruction for an individual contract. Confirm the applicable route with the registrar.
An assignment agreement should identify what is actually transferred, including the unit, the seller's registered interest and the obligations the buyer accepts. The marketing phrase "take over my payment plan" is not enough. Ask for a signed schedule that reconciles payments already made, payments remaining, dates, variations and any finance secured against the interest.
Read the SPA and get a written developer answer
Mark the SPA clauses on transfer, consent, unpaid instalments, charges and default. Then ask the developer to answer these questions against the exact unit:
| Question | Evidence to obtain |
|---|---|
| May this interest be assigned now? | The applicable SPA clause and written developer response. |
| What has been paid? | A dated account statement showing credited instalments, arrears and adjustments. |
| What remains payable? | The current payment schedule and any signed variations. |
| What approval is needed? | The specific consent or clearance document and its conditions, if any. |
| Who submits registration? | The current service route and party responsible for each step, confirmed by developer and registrar. |
No verified primary source establishes a universal 30% paid threshold for every Abu Dhabi project. Nor does the available record support an across-the-board developer NOC fee or validity period. A contract may contain a restriction, but its terms should be quoted and checked rather than replaced by a market rule of thumb.
Give the new buyer the project disclosure
The ADREC collection's disclosure provisions include Article 42, which lists information the developer supplies to an off-plan buyer. It also states that a buyer reselling before concluding the new contract must deliver a full copy of that disclosure statement or the applicable temporary disclosure statement to the new buyer. Read the published provision, then ask the developer for the version relevant to this unit and confirm which obligation applies at the resale date.
This is not just a paperwork formality. The incoming buyer needs to compare the identified unit, plans, specifications, shared facilities, estimated delivery information and any updates against the SPA and marketing. A changed plan or date should be disclosed as a dated change, not presented as if the original brochure remains current. A published floor plan is not proof that every detail will be delivered unchanged.
Register the actual transaction
ADREC's DARI guide to off-plan unit buy and sell registration describes a developer-facing service that records unit, project, buyer, sale, fee and payment-plan information and issues a pre-registration certificate after its approval and payment flow. It describes an off-plan unit purchase and sale service. It does not, by itself, prove that every later assignment uses identical screens or that only the developer can initiate an assignment. Ask the developer and DARI which service applies to this resale and what record the incoming buyer will receive.
Before releasing funds, both parties should know which signed documents will be filed, who is responsible for filing them, when approval occurs, and what official evidence will confirm the new buyer's interest. Retain the application reference, registration certificate or other official result, and reconcile the name, unit and agreed consideration. A signed private agreement alone should not be described as completed registered title.
Model the seller's net position without invented fees
Build a transaction-specific worksheet: buyer consideration, unpaid developer balance, any documented finance release, actual developer or registrar charges, agency fee agreed in writing and tax or other obligations reviewed with an adviser. Ask the relevant parties for current quoted amounts and who pays each. The original version of this guide quoted registration percentages, a fixed late penalty and a 21-day deadline without sufficient current evidence; none should be relied on as a live tariff.
For pricing, compare the same project, phase, unit type, size and payment stage. A developer's advertised launch price, an active resale listing and a completed registered sale are different evidence. Record each observation's date and status. Our map offers area context, but district-level figures should not be substituted for a like-for-like off-plan unit comparison. The buyer should see why this specific payment position and unit warrant the proposed consideration, without a promised return or handover date.
The decision to proceed should rest on three matching records: the SPA and developer account, the disclosure pack shared with the buyer, and the registration route accepted for the assignment. This guide is a research framework, not legal, financial or tax advice. Have the current contract and registration steps checked by the developer, ADREC and an independent adviser before signing.