A document's title does not explain the obligations inside it. Before signing a property memorandum of understanding, reservation agreement or sale contract, identify what you are promising and which conditions still have to be met.
This is a contract preparation worksheet, not a model agreement or legal, investment or tax advice.
Start with the transaction, not a borrowed form name
A document used in another emirate or a previous transaction is not automatically appropriate here. Confirm the property, parties, jurisdiction and proposed registration route before relying on it.
ADGM's real estate services cover Al Maryah and Al Reem. That is one reason not to assume that every Abu Dhabi transaction follows a single standard form.
Verify the parties and the property
Check the seller's identity and authority, the buyer's proposed ownership structure and the exact property identifiers. Ask a qualified adviser to resolve discrepancies before treating the agreement as ready.
Where applicable, ADREC's document verification service can authenticate supported records. It does not interpret the obligations in your agreement or confirm that a proposed contractual remedy is enforceable.
Use a clause review worksheet
| Subject | Question for review |
|---|---|
| Property | Do the unit, phase, area and included items match the deal? |
| Price | What is payable, in which currency and at what milestones? |
| Deposit | Who holds it, under what authority and on which release terms? |
| Financing | What happens if the lender declines or values the property lower? |
| Timing | Which deadlines are obligations, estimates or conditions? |
| Possession | What occupancy and condition are required? |
| Failure | What notices, remedies and dispute procedure actually apply? |
These are review questions, not recommended clauses or an official mandatory list.
Treat money handling as a separate check
Verify the recipient and payment instructions using trusted channels. A message requesting a different account deserves independent confirmation before any transfer.
Keep a record of the payment purpose, receipt and conditions. Do not infer that a payment is refundable or protected simply because it is called a booking deposit.
Do not predict remedies from a percentage
The earlier version described deposit outcomes and compensation too broadly. A deposit amount does not by itself determine who can retain it, when it must be returned or what happens if financing fails.
Obtain case specific legal advice about the actual agreement before relying on a remedy. A generic guide cannot replace that assessment.
Align the agreement with the practical timeline
List each dependency and responsible party, including lender conditions, document preparation and possession. A mortgage calculator estimates repayments; it does not predict lender processing time or the completion date.
Use the purchase timeline guide to organise dependencies. Keep the signed version, attachments and correspondence together so the eventual transaction is checked against what was actually agreed.