Residential property sales in Abu Dhabi were broadly stable across March and April, with transactions rebounding in April to exceed earlier levels in the year, according to the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC).
More than 3,200 residential units were sold in April, generating over AED13 billion ($3.54 billion) in value. This compares with around 2,600 transactions in March, following approximately 2,700 and 3,100 deals in January and February, respectively, stated ADREC, the sector’s regulator.
The data reflected typical seasonal variation, with activity easing in March before recovering in April.
Sales of ready residential units - seen as a more immediate gauge of underlying demand - remained broadly in line with recent norms. March’s softer performance was attributed to Ramadan, the Eid Al Fitr holiday period, weather-related disruptions and regional factors, while April saw a return to more consistent activity.
The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (Adrec), the custodian and regulator of Abu Dhabi’s real estate sector, has released market insights covering activity over the past eight weeks, providing greater transparency on recent transaction trends and supporting a clearer understanding of market behaviour.
Residential unit sales transactions are driven by off-plan and ready sales. Residential unit ready sales provide the most immediate views of current market activity and offer a more direct read of buyer demand within the period.
Over the past eight weeks, market activity followed a pattern consistent with normal variation, with strong activity in January and February, moderation in March, and April recording activity levels similar to earlier in the year. The moderation observed in March was influenced by a combination of Ramadan, the Eid Al-Fitr holiday period, weather-related disruptions, and regional dynamics.
Off-plan project launches remained active during the eight-week period, with major ones including Modon’s Tara Park, Ohana Development’s Manchester City Yas Residences, Aldar’s Yas Park Place, and Sobha City Abu Dhabi.
Adrec pointed out that these launches reflect ongoing development activity across the market, with new projects continuing to be introduced over the period and continuous monitoring of off-plan sales registration within the ADREC registry in the coming weeks.
In March, the share of listings with price variations increased to approximately 12%, compared to an average of around 8% between October 2025 and January 2026.In April, this varied to approximately 4%, the lowest level recorded since October 2025.
Average across March & April, in line with historical norms, the share of listing prices with no change or that showed price increases was 92%. Only 8% of listings witnessed a variation in asking price, with ~90% of those showing modest asking price variations of less than 10%.
According to Adrec, the residential leasing market continued its upward trajectory, with active leased residential units increasing consistently on a weekly basis since the beginning of the year.
In line with trends observed over the past two to three years, growth in active leased units continues at a moderating pace, driven by high occupancy levels, it added.-TradeArabia News Service