Dubai’s thriving resale market for ultra-luxury villas is dominated by cash buyers who want ready properties and no risk, a new market analysis shows.

The study by fäm Luxe, the luxury division of fäm Properties, reveals that the resale market for villas above Dh40 million recorded 169 resale transactions valued at Dh11.57 billion in 2025, only 15.7 per cent of which were mortgaged.

And it showed that 98 per cent of resale villa transactions last year were for fully completed properties, with just 2 per cent for homes under-construction, compared with the resale market for apartments where 28 per cent of transactions were off-plan.

Firas Al Msaddi, CEO of fäm Properties, says the resale market shows what buyers actually want because it is not influenced by leverage or short-term speculation.

“Demand for luxury villas is overwhelmingly concentrating on completed product,” says Al Msaddi. “This is happening because villas are personal assets, delivering privacy, scale, layout, light, finishes, and surroundings which can’t be verified before completion.”

“Luxury villa buyers do not tolerate uncertainty because they do not need to. They are not chasing yield, they are allocating capital into lifestyle, privacy, and long-term security.”

The clearest signal of market strength sits in the Dh50–70 million villa segment, where annual resale value was highest for the last three years, rising from Dh2.40 billion in 2023 to Dh3.33 in 2024 and Dh3.49 last year. Only 24 of the 159 deals in that period were mortgaged.

Firas Al Msaddi, CEO of fäm Properties, says Dubai's resale market shows what buyers actually want.

Nordic by fäm, the company’s development arm, consequently adopted a build-first approach for its Dh3 billion portfolio of luxury villas under development in Dubai, which are made available only after being finished and furnished.

The initial two villas in Dubai’s Al Wasl district, sold for Dh61.5 million and Dh76 million respectively. Over 20 are presently under development, including a 35,000 sq ft residence set for completion in December and anticipated to list at Dh275 million.

“Buyers at this level wait for completion because they want to walk the land, experience privacy, inspect finishes, and understand surroundings, light, and noise, which can only happen after completion,” said Al Msaddi.

“This is an ultra-luxury sector where buyers deploy capital carefully for wealth preservation, demonstrating the patience that defines stable markets globally.”