Dubai, UAE – A recent report, issued by the Property Finder real estate platform, revealed that the demand for buying or renting residential apartments continues to dominate the real estate market in Dubai.
This reflects the strength of this sector, which has been based, for years, on residential apartment activity.
The report showed that apartments accounted for about 80% of total rental searches last November, compared to 20% for villas and townhouses.
He showed that studio units and one-bedroom apartments witnessed an increase in their share of total rental demand.
The report attributed this to the rise in rents over the past year.
This has prompted individuals and small families to move towards units that are more efficient in terms of space and cost.
This is while maintaining the quality of living and outstanding locations.
Regarding the purchasing market, the report indicated that apartments represented 58% of total searches during November on an annual basis.
While the share of villas declined slightly.
About 70% of apartment searches were concentrated in one- or two-room units.
This reflects the continued trend towards medium-sized homes with reasonable prices in vital communities that are well connected to the city.
Large mortgage applications
According to Morgig Finder data for November 2025, the segment of people with a monthly income between 20,000 and 40,000 dirhams accounted for about 38% of total mortgage applications.
This recorded the largest share among all income segments in the market, compared to 30% in October.
The data indicated that 85% of applicants in this segment were looking for real estate for personal residence.
While 15% of them are moving towards real estate investment, which reflects the dynamism of this category and the increasing number of new investors.
She also explained that the middle-income segment tends to buy residential apartments as a more affordable option and easier in terms of availability.
It is a suitable approach for professionals and small families seeking to settle, live and work in Dubai on a long-term basis.
According to the data, the percentage of buyers who earn a monthly income ranging between 60,000 and 80,000 dirhams or more, and who plan to purchase investment properties, does not exceed only 2.04%.
She indicated that this percentage rises to 5.1% among buyers within the income bracket, which ranges between 20,000 and 40,000 dirhams.
Which reflects greater investment activity among the middle income group.
On the other hand, the data confirmed that those with higher incomes contribute to maintaining stable demand in the villa market.
Data shows that buyers with monthly incomes between 40,000 and 60,000 dirhams are the most likely to purchase villas.
13.27% of them prefer independent homes, compared to 8.16% who prefer apartments within the same segment.
November data showed that purchasing affordable residential properties for personal use represents a major priority for buyers whose monthly income ranges between 20,000 and 40,000 dirhams.
