Dubai is 11 or 12 hours ahead of California and most of our American clients buy without flying over. That works, because Dubai gives buyers official tools to verify almost everything from a phone. It goes wrong when a buyer trusts a WhatsApp message instead of running the check.
This is the order we work in for every client buying from the United States. Download the checklist, tick each box only when you have seen the proof yourself, and stop if anything does not match.
The five checks before you commit
Install Dubai REST, the official Dubai Land Department app, on day one. Most of the checks below live inside it.
1. The people
Ask for the broker's name and the brokerage ORN in writing and look both up. Then scan the Madmoun QR code on the listing. Since April 2023 every Dubai property advert must carry one, and the scan shows who placed the ad, the unit details and whether it is already sold or rented, according to the Dubai Land Department.
- The broker on the card is the person you are talking to.
- The Madmoun scan shows the same unit and price you were sent.
- The developer's name matches the SPA. Our developer verification guide shows how.
2. The project
For off plan property, look the project up in the DLD Project Status Enquiry by name, project number or land number. It shows the completion percentage. Look again before every large payment.
Every off plan project must have its own escrow account under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, and the developer's creditors cannot touch it, as Khaleej Times explains. Your money goes into that account and nowhere else.
- You know the project number and the escrow account name.
- Construction progress matches the sales pitch.
- After signing, you receive the Oqood certificate and it verifies in Dubai REST.
3. The unit
For a ready unit, verify the title deed in Dubai REST with the certificate number, year, property type and owner's name. The owner must be the person selling, or someone holding a power of attorney that verifies on an official UAE portal.
Then check the price against what buyers actually paid. Our guide to what Dubai property actually trades for explains where registered prices come from, and our service charges guide shows the running cost.
- The title deed verifies and the names match.
- There is a plan to clear any mortgage at transfer.
- You know the annual service charge per sq ft.
4. The paperwork from the USA
Most Americans complete through a power of attorney. Since DLD Circular 29/R/2025, a power of attorney issued abroad must be under two years old, name the purchase specifically, be legalised for the UAE and translated into Arabic, and the original must be presented, as BSA Law reports.
For a US document the route is: sign before a US notary, have it authenticated by the US Department of State Authentication Office, then attested for the UAE through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs online service, according to the UAE Consulate in New York. A document with commercial content goes through your Secretary of State.
Our power of attorney guide for US buyers walks through it step by step.
- The power of attorney names the purchase and your share.
- It is notarised, authenticated and attested.
- Your attorney is someone on your side, not the seller's.
5. The wire
This is where Americans lose money. The FBI's internet crime report for 2025 counted $275.1 million lost to real estate fraud from 12,368 complaints, as HousingWire reported. The usual trick is a real looking email with changed bank details.
Call to confirm every account number on a phone number you already have. Pay only into the developer, escrow or seller account named in the contract. Our guide to transferring money from the USA to Dubai covers the banking side.
Once you hold more than $10,000 in UAE accounts at any time in the year, you file an FBAR. Rental income goes on Schedule E. See US tax reporting for Dubai rental income.
- Bank details confirmed by phone before every wire.
- No payment to a personal account, ever.
- Your US tax adviser has seen the deal.
Red flags: stop before you wire
- The price is far below registered sales in the same building.
- You are told to pay today.
- The listing has no Madmoun QR code.
- Bank details change by email or WhatsApp.
- Nobody can give you the project number or escrow account.
Get the buyer checklist
9 pages and 35 checks: the people, the project, the unit, the paperwork, the money and a page for the US side of the deal. Enter your details and the download opens on this page.
Your checklist is ready
Thank you. Download the Remote Buyer Checklist below. To run the checks with us, our US desk is on 1-833-CRESCO-6.
Buying from outside the US? Our Dubai team publishes the Dubai property due diligence checklist for overseas buyers from every country.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy property in Dubai from the USA without visiting?
Yes. You can verify the broker, the listing, the project and the title deed online through Dubai REST, and sign through a power of attorney that is notarised in the US, authenticated by the US Department of State and attested for the UAE.
How do I know a Dubai listing is real?
Scan the Madmoun QR code on the listing. Since April 2023 every property advert in Dubai must carry one, and the scan shows who placed it and whether the unit is already sold or rented.
How do I protect my wire to Dubai?
Pay only into the developer, escrow or seller account named in the contract, and confirm the bank details by phone on a number you already have before every transfer.
Do I need to report a Dubai bank account to the IRS?
If your UAE accounts total more than $10,000 at any time in the year, you file an FBAR (FinCEN Form 114). Rental income from Dubai goes on Schedule E.
Sources: Dubai Land Department, Madmoun; DLD Project Status Enquiry; BSA Law on DLD Circular 29/R/2025; UAE Consulate General New York, attestation; Khaleej Times on Law No. 8 of 2007; HousingWire on the FBI IC3 2025 report. Checked 28 October 2026. General guidance, not legal or tax advice.