How to read an off-plan brochure before you forward it

Blog · Brokbase team · 15 September 2026 · 7 min read

A brochure is a sales document, not a contract. It is still the first thing the client will read, so the broker should know exactly what it says and what it leaves out. Five things to check, in the order clients ask about them.

1. The payment plan, as a schedule

"60/40" tells you almost nothing. Find the table: booking amount, instalments linked to construction milestones or to dates, the share at handover, and any post-handover instalments with their duration. Write it down as a schedule with percentages and, if the document gives them, dates. That schedule is what the client's bank and the client's spouse will ask for.

2. Handover: date, quarter or 'anticipated'

Brochures say "Q4 2027" or "anticipated completion"; the SPA will say something more precise. Note the wording exactly. If the brochure has a price list attached, its date matters as much: a list from March may not be the current one in September.

3. Fees: what is included and what is waived

Look for the DLD registration fee (4% of the price in Dubai), the Oqood registration, admin fees and whether the developer states that any of them are waived or included for a launch period. "DLD waiver" in a brochure has an expiry; find it. DLD fees explained covers the numbers.

4. Service charge and what it covers

Usually a figure per square foot per year, sometimes 'estimated'. Investors compare this number across projects; if it is missing, say so rather than guessing.

5. Unit types, sizes and the page numbers

Sizes are stated in square feet, sometimes with balcony included and sometimes not. Note which. When you forward a brochure, tell the client which page has the unit they asked about; it saves the next three messages.

A habit that saves deals

Keep the page number next to every figure you quote. Brokbase does this automatically: each value on a property card links to the page it was read from, and the assistant returns the PDF with the card. Without software, a line in your notes such as "60/40, handover Q4 2027, p. 12" does the same job.

Questions people ask

Can I rely on prices in a brochure?

Treat them as the price on the date of the attached price list. Confirm with the developer before quoting; note the date in your message to the client.

Is the payment plan negotiable?

Sometimes, at launch or for bulk purchases. The brochure shows the standard plan; anything else goes in the reservation form.