Gross vs net yield in DIFC
Gross yield in DIFC sits at 6–7% in 2026. Strip out service charges, 5% management, DEWA connection and a two-week void allowance and net normally lands 1.2–1.8 points lower. On an entry apartment near AED 2,262,000 that difference decides whether the deal works.
What lifts yield in DIFC
Furnished units let faster and command 8–12% more rent here. Higher floors, chiller-free towers and anything walkable to Gate Avenue outperform. Moving the same unit to a licensed holiday-home licence usually lifts gross revenue well above the long-term figure.
DIFC at a glance
DIFC is the financial free zone where corporate tenants and business travellers pay a premium. Buying sits at AED 2,900 per sqft — roughly AED 2,262,000 for a standard one-bedroom — while long-term tenants pay about AED 145,000 a year. Hosted as a licensed holiday home, the same unit averages AED 834 a night at 79% occupancy, around AED 240,484 gross. Owners on our managed programme average AED 331,868 — a 38% uplift.
