Bayut Q3: asking prices steady, apartment yields up to 9.5%

Bayut's third-quarter report for 2026 describes a calm quarter for asking prices. In affordable and mid-tier communities, average asking prices per square foot moved by less than 3% in most areas between July and September; in luxury and ultra-luxury areas most moved by less than 2%. A few communities rose faster, most visibly at the top of the market.

"Across many of the popular areas in our report, asking prices have remained broadly steady," said Haider Ali Khan, chief executive of Bayut.

The report is built on listings and searches on the portal, so its prices are asking prices, not registered sale prices, and its yields are estimates from asking rents and asking prices. That makes it a good guide to what sellers and landlords expect, and a weaker guide to what deals actually close at.

Apartments for sale

• Palm Jumeirah (ultra-luxury): average asking price up 3.4% on the quarter to Dh3,490 per sq ft.
• Business Bay (mid-tier): Dh2,158 per sq ft.
• Jumeirah Village Circle (mid-tier): Dh1,419 per sq ft, with an estimated yield of 7.1%.
• Dubai Silicon Oasis (affordable): studios average about Dh556,000 and one-bedroom flats about Dh856,000, with an estimated yield of 7.9%.

Buyer searches for luxury apartments were led by Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai and Dubai Hills Estate. Among affordable areas, Dubai Sports City and Dubai South were also popular.

Villas for sale

• Palm Jumeirah: four-bedroom villas average about Dh44.1 million.
• Al Barari: four-bedroom villas up 8.2% on the quarter to an average of Dh29.6 million — one of the bigger moves in the report, which Bayut links to limited supply and the community's setting.
• DAMAC Lagoons (mid-tier): Dh1,499 per sq ft; Arabian Ranches 3 and Al Furjan also drew interest.
• DAMAC Hills 2 (affordable): Dh1,054 per sq ft; Rukan and Dubai South were also popular.

Where the yields are

Estimated gross rental yields from the report:

Two things are worth noting. First, the gap between segments is wide: an affordable apartment in Dubai Investments Park is estimated to return about twice as much on its price as a villa in Al Barari. Second, the 10% figure for Deira villas comes with a condition — Bayut notes that buying there is open only to UAE and GCC nationals.

Rents

Average asking rents in Dubai Silicon Oasis were about Dh45,500 a year for a studio and Dh63,400 for a one-bedroom flat. Mid-tier apartment rents softened in Jumeirah Village Circle, Business Bay and Arjan, and luxury apartment rents in Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai and Meydan saw small corrections.

What buyers and renters told Bayut

The report includes the Bayut and dubizzle UAE Market Sentiment Survey, with more than 2,000 responses.

Buyers

• 60% are very confident or cautiously optimistic about the market over the next five years.
• Over the next 12 months, 46% expect prices to rise and 34% expect them to stay where they are.
• 72% are buying for their own use and 41% as an investment (respondents could choose both).

Renters

• Nearly 45% have considered buying instead of renting; 18% are actively comparing the two.
• 26% say they cannot afford the down payment.
• Of the active comparers who gave a reason, 52% said they plan to stay in the UAE for the long term.
• Half expect rents to stay where they are over the next year; a quarter expect a fall and a quarter a rise.
• Asked about their next move, 32% want a bigger or better home and 31% a cheaper one.

Off-plan projects buyers searched for

Among apartments, buyer interest went to The Palm Beach Towers, Orla and Bluewaters Bay at the top end; Sobha One, Sobha Creek Vistas Heights and Riverside Crescent in luxury; Lagoon Views, Binghatti Skyterraces and Binghatti Hillcrest in the mid-tier; and Azizi Venice, Raw District by Imtiaz and Binghatti Skyflame among affordable projects. Among villas, searches included The Palm Crown, Amali Island and Pearl Jumeirah Villas at the top end, and Fiji 1, Verdana 2 and Violet in the affordable segment.