Property Finder, the real estate portal operating across the Middle East and North Africa, has revealed key trends in the residential property market in Dubai and Abu Dhabi at the beginning of 2026.
According to Property Finder’s Market Pulse survey, consumer preferences in Dubai have shifted from renting to owning, with 70% of respondents planning to purchase a home within the next six months.
The platform also noted continued strong demand for property purchases in Dubai, as views of sales listings rose to 49% in 2025, while interest in rental listings declined.
In Abu Dhabi, the platform highlighted growing demand for homeownership, with sales listings accounting for 39% of total impressions in 2025, compared to 26% the previous year. This reflects a rising desire for long-term residential stability.
Key Trends in Dubai:
First-time buyers played a major role in this shift, supported by long-term residency policies, ownership-linked visas, and initiatives such as Dubai’s First-Time Home Buyer Program. This program enabled more than 2,000 residents to purchase their first homes and contributed to residential sales exceeding AED 3.25 billion over the past six months.
Properties priced below AED 1,000 per square foot accounted for 8% of the market in 2025, down from 14% in 2024, indicating a growing preference for higher-value housing options.
Data from Mortgage Finder showed that buyers allocated a larger share of their income to mortgage repayments, rising from 23% in 2024 to 31% in 2025. This reflects strong market confidence and an increasing desire for homeownership.
Key Trends in Abu Dhabi:
Demand continues to focus on apartments, which represented 72% of total residential transactions in 2025, driven by ample supply and a wide range of options in terms of location, design, and price. This strengthens apartments’ position as the preferred housing type in Abu Dhabi.
In the villa segment, there is a clear trend toward upgrading to larger units. Homes with four bedrooms or more accounted for 62% of villa transactions in 2025, compared to 38% three years earlier. This shift reflects growing family- and lifestyle-driven demand, as more buyers relocate to Abu Dhabi with long-term settlement plans rather than short-term investment motives.
