Khaleej Times

Affordable units spur sales

- Issac John

dubai — With affordable properties spurring transactio­ns in a relatively soft Dubai property market, handovers in the fourth quarter are expected to average between 5,000 and 7,000 units, according to the latest market report by a leading property consultanc­y.

A Cavendish Maxwell study said that a balance between demand and supply is expected to be achieved consequent to the establishm­ent of the real estate planning committee.

“The positive impact of the move is already evident with real estate transactio­ns in Dubai more than doubling since the announceme­nt of the committee,” said Aditi Hariharan, senior consultant for strategic consulting and research at Cavendish Maxwell.

“A prolonged softening in prices and rents has made real estate more accessible to and affordable for owner occupiers and tenants. Supply continues to provide direction to prices and rents in Dubai and will do so as more projects materialis­e in the upcoming quarters,” said Hariharan.

About 29,000 residentia­l units were delivered in 2018 and with actual materialis­ation rate of 40 per cent to 50 per cent more than 40,000 units are expected to be delivered this year.

Mohan Kavalam, general manager of Synergy Internatio­nal Real Estate, said Dubai’s property market

would soon be witnessing a demand-supply balance, leading to price stability and maturity. “However, for end-users, the current market scenario of lower prices and the availabili­ty of affordable homes offers an ideal opportunit­y to invest,” said Kavalam.

The Q3 2019 UAE Property

Market Report from Cavendish Maxwell disclosed several key insights and trends during the quarter, which are expected to hold true for the rest of 2019.

While average sales prices and rents softened across most communitie­s in Dubai in the third quarter of 2019, average apartment prices declined by 16.5 per cent over the 12-month period from third quarter 2018, said the report. While average villa/townhouse prices declined 15 per cent in third quarter, rental declines for apartments in Dubai averaged 15 per cent and villas/ townhouses registered a 12 per cent fall over the 12-month period ending third quarter 2019.

Meanwhile, a report by Luxhabitat, based on data by Property Monitor, said over 2,280 villas and 6,963 apartments were transacted within the third quarter of 2019 in Dubai’s overall residentia­l market. Volume of transactio­ns in the secondary market was Dh10.8 billion, compared to Dh13.4billion in the first quarter of 2019, a 19 per cent decrease.

A prolonged softening in prices and rents has made real estate more accessible to and affordable for owner

occupiers and tenants Aditi Hariharan, Senior consultant at Cavendish Maxwell Dubai’s property market would soon be witnessing a demand-supply

balance, leading to price stability and maturity Mohan Kavalam, General manager of Synergy Internatio­nal Real Estate

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