If you're buying your first home in the UAE, you can now get 1% of your mortgage back in cash when you finance a ready home through Property Finder.
The offer is run by Mortgage Finder, Property Finder's mortgage company, and pays between AED 10,000 and AED 150,000 depending on the size of your loan. It applies to ready homes priced from AED 1.25 million that carry the Mortgage Cashback tag, with a minimum mortgage of AED 1 million.
The money reaches you about a month after your mortgage is processed, in time for your first repayment. On a AED 2 million apartment with a AED 1.6 million mortgage, you would receive AED 16,000.
Key takeaways
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The cashback is 1% of the mortgage amount, from AED 10,000 up to AED 150,000.
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It's open to UAE nationals and residents buying their first property in the UAE.
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The apartment or villa must be ready, priced from AED 1.25 million, and tagged Mortgage Cashback on Property Finder.
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The mortgage must be at least AED 1 million.
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Mortgage Finder works with more than 20 lenders, so you keep a wide choice of banks.
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The cashback arrives about one month after the mortgage is processed.
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Mortgage Finder announced the offer on 13 July 2026, with Driven Properties as the first agency partner.
How does the mortgage cashback work?
You arrange your mortgage through Mortgage Finder, buy a qualifying ready home, and Mortgage Finder pays you 1% of the loan once the mortgage completes. Property Finder's mortgage cashback page sets out four steps: check your eligibility, speak with a mortgage advisor about pre-approval, find and finance a ready home, and receive your cashback.
The cashback is guaranteed for every buyer who meets the conditions, with no draw or selection involved.
Mortgage Finder compares offers from more than 20 UAE lenders and matches you with the bank that suits your profile, so you still choose your mortgage on its own merits.
Who qualifies for the cashback?
Mortgage Finder's launch announcement, published on 13 July 2026, lists five conditions:
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You're a UAE national or a UAE resident.
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You're 21 or older.
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You haven't held a mortgage in the previous two years.
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Your mortgage is at least AED 1 million.
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You buy a qualifying home through a participating agency.
Property Finder's own page describes the buyer as a "first-time home buyer in the UAE", so if you have owned property here before, it's worth confirming your eligibility with the advisor before you plan around the cashback.
The property matters too. It needs to be a ready home from AED 1.25 million, listed with the Mortgage Cashback tag. Off-plan homes and projects under construction are excluded.
How much could you get back?
The cashback is 1% of your loan, so it rises with the size of your mortgage. The table below gives a few examples, assuming you borrow 80% of the price. Your bank sets the final loan amount, so use these figures as a guide.
|
Home price |
Mortgage at 80% |
Cashback at 1%
|
|---|---|---|
|
AED 1,250,000 |
AED 1,000,000 |
AED 10,000 |
|
AED 2,000,000 |
AED 1,600,000 |
AED 16,000 |
|
AED 3,000,000 |
AED 2,400,000 |
AED 24,000 |
|
AED 5,000,000 |
AED 4,000,000 |
AED 40,000 |
The maximum of AED 150,000 applies to a mortgage of AED 15 million.
What can you use it for?
The cashback is yours to use as you choose, and the first months in a new property come with costs of their own. Gulf Business, reporting the launch on 14 July 2026, listed the upfront costs the offer is designed to help with: registration fees, furniture, renovation, moving and utility deposits.
Registration is usually the largest of these. Dubai Land Department charges a 4% transfer fee on the purchase price, which comes to AED 80,000 on a AED 2 million apartment.
So, a cashback of AED 16,000 covers a fifth of that fee, or furnishes your living room and a bedroom. Our guide to buying ready property in Dubai sets out every fee you will meet on a resale purchase, so you can plan the full amount from the start.
Why is Property Finder offering this now?
Mortgage Finder describes upfront costs as "the final obstacle" for people hoping to buy their first home.
Enguerran Milhiet, Mortgage Finder's vice president, said: "We're seeing a unique moment in the market where buyers have more choice, stronger negotiating power."
The company links the offer to Dubai's Economic Agenda D33 and the Dubai Real Estate Strategy 2033, both of which aim to raise home ownership. Driven Properties is the launch agency partner in Dubai, MD Real Estate will follow in Abu Dhabi, and more agencies are expected to join.
The cashback is one of several new routes into ownership this year. In Abu Dhabi, banks can now lend on off-plan homes before handover.
How does it differ from Dubai's First-Time Home Buyer programme?
These are two separate schemes, run by different organisations, and each rewards something different.
Dubai Land Department's First-Time Home Buyer programme is open to UAE residents aged 18 or over who don't yet own property in Dubai and are buying a home under AED 5 million.
It gives you early access to launches and existing stock, preferential prices from participating developers such as Emaar, Nakheel, Meraas and DAMAC, and the option to pay registration fees by eligible credit card.
You register through the DLD website or the Dubai REST app and receive a QR code to use with partner developers and banks.
The cashback, by comparison, is a cash payment on ready homes listed on Property Finder, linked to the size of your mortgage. Property Finder's page doesn't say whether the two can be combined on one purchase, so it's worth asking both before you plan around them.
|
Mortgage Finder cashback |
DLD First-Time Home Buyer programme
|
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|---|---|---|
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Run by |
Mortgage Finder, part of Property Finder |
Dubai Land Department |
|
What you get |
1% of your mortgage, AED 10,000 to AED 150,000 |
Early access, preferential prices, card payment for registration fees |
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Who |
UAE nationals and residents, 21+, no mortgage in the last two years |
UAE residents, 18+, no property in Dubai |
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Price range |
Ready homes from AED 1.25 million |
Homes under AED 5 million |
|
Off-plan |
Not included |
Included through partner developers |
How to claim the cashback, step by step
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Fill in the eligibility form on Property Finder's mortgage cashback page.
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Talk to a Mortgage Finder advisor and get pre-approved.
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Search Property Finder for ready homes with the Mortgage Cashback tag.
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Buy through the participating agency listing that home.
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Complete the mortgage with the lender Mortgage Finder matched you with.
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Receive the cashback about a month after the mortgage is processed.
Where does AED 1.25 million buy a ready home?
A budget of AED 1.25 million opens up several established districts with ready apartments at or above that price, each with a rental and resale record you can check before you buy.
Our Business Bay area guide covers prices and yields in one of the city's most active areas. If you want more space and a family setting, our Dubai Hills Estate guide covers what ready homes cost there. Our Azizi Riviera guide looks at a canal-side community in Meydan that is already built and renting.
For a wider view of where prices sit today, our Q2 2026 Dubai real estate market report breaks down transactions by segment.
Five checks before you count on the cashback
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Confirm the listing carries the Mortgage Cashback tag on the day you make an offer.
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Confirm the home is ready. Off-plan homes are excluded.
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Check you haven't held a mortgage anywhere in the past two years.
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Make sure your mortgage will be at least AED 1 million after the bank's valuation.
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Ask the advisor to confirm in writing how and when the cashback will be paid.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Property Finder mortgage cashback?
It's a cash payment of 1% of your mortgage, from AED 10,000 to AED 150,000, offered by Mortgage Finder to first-time buyers who finance a qualifying ready home listed on Property Finder.
Who can get the mortgage cashback in the UAE?
UAE nationals and residents aged 21 or over who haven't held a mortgage in the previous two years, with a mortgage of at least AED 1 million, buying a tagged ready home through a participating agency.
How much cashback can I get?
1% of your mortgage. A AED 1 million loan gets AED 10,000, a AED 1.6 million loan gets AED 16,000, and the maximum is AED 150,000.
When is the cashback paid?
About one month after your mortgage is processed, according to Property Finder.
Does the cashback apply to off-plan property?
No. It applies only to ready homes from AED 1.25 million listed with the Mortgage Cashback tag.
Do I have to use a specific bank?
No. Mortgage Finder works with more than 20 lenders across the UAE and matches you with the one that fits your profile.
Can I use the cashback with Dubai's First-Time Home Buyer programme?
They're separate schemes run by Mortgage Finder and Dubai Land Department. Property Finder's page doesn't say whether both can apply to one purchase, so check with both before you rely on it.
Final disclaimer
This article is based on Property Finder's mortgage cashback page, Mortgage Finder's launch announcement of 13 July 2026, Gulf Business's report of 14 July 2026, and Dubai Land Department's First-Time Home Buyer programme page.
The cashback examples are our own maths at an assumed 80% loan, shown so you can run the numbers on your own purchase. Offer terms can change, so check the current conditions with Mortgage Finder before you buy.
Sources
