Question 1

How does the auction work?

Accepted Answer

Each property is listed with a published guide price and a confidential reserve. From the moment it’s listed, verified bidders can submit sealed pre-auction offers. Those offers close 24 hours before the live auction starts (the registration deadline), and any offer not accepted by the seller automatically carries over as a maximum (proxy) bid. The live auction then runs for 24 hours as an ascending ('English') auction, though if a bid lands in the final 2 minutes, the close extends by 2 minutes to stop last-second sniping. The closing stage is live-streamed on YouTube (Wednesdays, 7pm GST). If the highest bid meets or beats the reserve, that bidder wins.

Question 2

How do I know bids are real and not fake?

Accepted Answer

Every bidder is KYC-verified, and to bid in the live auction you lodge a refundable auction deposit — a pre-authorisation hold on your card, not a charge. We don’t run shill bids, and a seller can’t bid on their own property. An auction only goes ahead with genuine competition — we won’t run a live auction unless at least two verified bidders have lodged a deposit. Bid history is public on every listing, so you can see exactly when each bid landed and how the price moved, and our anti-sniping rule extends the close by 2 minutes whenever a bid arrives in the final 2 minutes. Completed sales can be checked later in the public DLD records.

Question 3

Is my money safe? Where is it held?

Accepted Answer

It helps to separate the two deposits, because they work very differently: • The auction deposit (to bid live) is a pre-authorisation hold on your card — like the hold a car-rental company or hotel places. No money actually leaves your account; the amount is simply frozen so we know every live bidder is genuine. If you don’t win, the hold is released as soon as the auction reaches a final result; if you win, it’s released the moment you pay the reservation fee. The only time it’s ever charged is if you win and then fail to go through with the purchase — so a genuine bidder is never out of pocket. • The 10% purchase deposit (after you win) is a real payment, due within 24 hours of winning. It’s either applied toward your purchase price or held as collateral (typically a cheque) pending completion at the DLD — it isn’t ours to spend. Any deposit funds we do hold are kept in a segregated client-funds account, separate from the company’s own money.

Question 4

Can I view the property before bidding?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every property has scheduled viewing times during the pre-auction period, and we can arrange private viewings on request. A full property pack is available to download for each listing, so you can do most of your research without leaving home.

Question 5

How is the reserve price set?

Accepted Answer

The reserve is the seller’s confidential minimum — the lowest price they’ll accept. We benchmark it against at least three independent valuations. These can be AVM models such as ours (trained on DLD transaction data) or RICS-certified valuation reports, and the reserve can’t be set above the median of those. That ceiling keeps reserves realistic so properties actually sell, while the seller stays protected by setting their own floor. The reserve stays confidential, but the moment bidding crosses it we mark the auction “reserve met” so you know you’re competing for a sale that will complete.

Question 6

What does it cost to bid?

Accepted Answer

Registration is free, and so are KYC and mortgage pre-approval. To bid in the live auction you lodge a refundable auction deposit — a pre-authorisation hold on your card (like a hotel or car-rental hold), not a charge, released in full if you don’t win. If you win, you pay the standard Dubai buyer costs (agency, DLD and trustee fees). There’s no charge to browse, register or make a pre-auction offer.

Question 7

Will it cost me more to buy at auction?

Accepted Answer

No. You pay the standard Dubai buyer costs — 4% DLD transfer fee, 2% + VAT agency commission, and trustee/title fees — exactly as you would in any purchase. The reservation fee is a seller-side fee that comes out of the seller’s proceeds; it isn’t added to your costs and doesn’t change the price recorded on Form F. All costs are shown clearly on each listing before you bid.

Question 8

What happens if I bid and win?

Accepted Answer

Bids are binding once accepted. The moment the hammer falls a binding sale contract forms, and the clock starts: • Reservation fee — pay within 12 hours to secure the property. • 10% deposit + Form F — pay the deposit and sign Form F within 24 hours. Both deadlines run from the hammer, not back-to-back. • Completion — transfer at a trustee office within 56 days.

Question 9

Can the seller pull out after I win?

Accepted Answer

No. From the moment a property is listed, the seller is contractually bound to see the process through and can’t withdraw. If a sale you’ve won fails to complete because of the seller, you get your reservation fee back and we pay you compensation equal to your auction deposit for your wasted time and costs. Your protection as a buyer is built into the

Question 10

How do I sell my property through YallaValue?

Accepted Answer

You list with us, we set a confidential reserve with you (benchmarked against independent valuations), and the property runs through a pre-auction marketing period and a 24-hour online auction.  You’re never tied to the highest pre-auction offer — you choose whether to accept one early or go to auction. If it sells, completion follows the standard DLD process. If it doesn’t reach a deal, you pay nothing and can relist or go to market traditionally.

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