Dubai leads Knight Frank’s latest global comparison of branded residences, with 175 schemes across completed developments and the pipeline. Its 28 September research puts Miami second with 73.
The UAE markets are at different stages. Dubai has 68 live schemes and 107 in the pipeline. Abu Dhabi has 24 in total, including 19 planned schemes; all 23 recorded on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah are still to be delivered.
Buying a service as well as a home
That difference matters when choosing between an operating residence and a future resort address. In an established building, buyers can examine the service, upkeep and running costs already in place. For a new scheme, the comparison rests on the proposed service agreement, delivery programme and the surrounding development.
Our reading: start with how the home will be used. A full-time city residence and a holiday apartment ask different things of the location and operator, even when both carry a familiar brand.