It marks a 44 per cent year-over-year increase in value and a 6 per cent rise in transaction volume.
The record-breaking performance reflects growing investor confidence and sustained interest in both ready and off-plan properties.
Dubai real estate in May 2025
The sharp surge was led by primary ready transactions, which quadrupled in value year-over-year to reach AED17.9bn ($4.88bn) across 2,400 deals—a 314 per cent increase in value and 145 per cent rise in volume.
Meanwhile, secondary ready sales also hit historic highs, totalling AED24bn ($6.55bn) across 6,078 transactions, up 21 per cent in value and 8 per cent in volume compared to May 2024.
Market highlights:
- Primary market dominance: Off-plan and ready sales rose by 65 per cent to AED37bn ($10.1bn)
- Secondary market resilience: Transactions surged to AED29bn ($7.9bn) across 8,471 deals, up 23 per cent in value and 15 per cent in volume
- Business Bay led premium investments, making up 5 per cent of total value from just 3 per cent of transactions
- Al Barsha saw high transaction volume, accounting for 5 per cent of deals
- A single AED1.5bn ($409m) land deal in Palm Deira highlighted institutional confidence in long-term growth
Consumer trends:
- Apartments remained the top choice among both renters and buyers. 78 per cent of rental searches and 60 per cent of buyer interest focused on apartments.
- Studios drew 21 per cent of rental searches but just 15 per cent of purchase interest
- One-bedroom units led demand with 38 per cent of rental and 35 per cent of buyer searches, suggesting buyers prefer larger spaces for long-term value and liveability
Expert insight
Cherif Sleiman, Chief Revenue Officer at Property Finder, said: “Just when we thought April was Dubai’s most significant month in terms of transaction value at AED62.1 bn, May eclipsed this with AED66.8 billion in transaction value. This underscores the sustainability of the trends driving current growth.
“Dubai continues to lead real estate innovation by example, as evidenced by the recent launch of the region’s first licensed tokenised property investment platform by Dubai Land Department.
“With the remarkable growth in population this year, welcoming nearly 1,000 new residents each day – double of last year’s daily visitor arrivals, demand for housing is poised to reach peak levels.
“Against this backdrop, the real estate market is enjoying positive momentum, fuelled by digital transformation, international investor appetite, and a surge in demand for premium living.
“Real estate leaders who participated in Property Finder’s recent roundtable are confident of transaction activity picking up throughout 2025, buoyed by unprecedented interest from international investors, alongside a strong off-plan performance and vibrant luxury resale activity.
“These trends speak to the city’s enduring appeal and resilience, even amid global uncertainty”.
