How much weight should I give 120 days on market for a Dubai apartment?

[daily_porch]

First time making this kind of decision in Dubai. I’m looking at apartments asking roughly AED 2,349,000 to AED 3,523,000, and several have been advertised for about 120 days. The market feels split rather than consistently fast or slow.

Would you treat that age as a reason to negotiate firmly, or could it just reflect repeated or withdrawn listings? I’d especially value recent completed-sale comparisons where the final figure differed from the public asking history. Units with a clear answer on property tax also seem to move differently.

 

[followTheEcho]

I’d negotiate, but I wouldn’t choose the reduction from the 120 days alone. Asking histories can show seller expectations, not what comparable apartments actually completed at. Start with recent sales in the same building or very close by, matching size, view and condition as closely as possible. Then ask when the seller last changed the price and why they are selling.

 

[jazzAndGate]

Which neighbourhoods are you comparing? Even a road or development boundary can make two apparently similar apartments poor comparisons. Also, what do you mean by a “clear answer on property tax”? Is that information coming from the listing, the agent or your own cost calculation? Clarifying that may explain the pattern you’re seeing.

 

[travelsAndThread]

I’m less convinced that 120 days creates much leverage. A seller who is not under pressure may simply leave an ambitious price online, while genuinely negotiable stock can disappear and return as a fresh listing. New-listing volume and withdrawn stock matter alongside days advertised.

Condition could be the separator here too. A dated apartment and a ready-to-occupy one should not be treated as equivalent just because their floor areas and asking prices overlap.

 

[MaeNash]

Before offering, make a short comparison sheet: completed sales, current competing listings, known price-cut dates, condition and exact micro-location. Ask whether the seller has a preferred completion timeline, then align your offer with what you can actually deliver. If financing is involved, keep that timeline realistic. The strongest case is not “it has been listed for 120 days,” but “these close alternatives and completed sales support my number.”