The bank valuation is the number that will tell you, with brutal clarity, whether you or the seller is holding the delusion about what this property is worth.
A valuation certificate is a formal assessment of a property’s market value, issued by a RERA-certified valuer. It is required for almost every mortgage application in Dubai, and commonly used for inheritance, insurance, corporate restatement, and dispute resolution. The valuer inspects the unit, references DLD comparable transactions in the same building or community, factors condition and view, and issues a signed certificate usually valid for three to six months. Banks will lend against the lower of sale price or valuation, never the higher.
On a Palm Jumeirah villa deal I worked on in 2024, the agreed price was AED 18.5M. The bank valuation came in at AED 17.1M. The buyer was putting in 30% cash. The funding gap forced a price renegotiation. The seller accepted AED 17.6M to close. The valuation saved the buyer AED 900,000.
Order an independent valuation before you negotiate hard on any property above AED 3M. The AED 3,000 fee pays for itself many times over at the negotiation table.
Related: Mortgage, LTV, RERA, Appreciation.