Mathematics

Real Estate Mathematics

The exam's Real Estate Mathematics domain sets short calculations on Dubai rules: area conversions at 1 sq m = 10.764 sq ft, DLD fees, commission with VAT, rent increase caps, service charges, yields, mortgage limits and off-plan refunds. Most marks are lost on the wrong base, the wrong unit or the wrong tier, not on the arithmetic.

Real estate mathematics and valuation8 min read8 sections

Must-know for the exam

1 sq m = 10.764 sq ft unless the stem says otherwise: multiply for sq ft, divide for sq m; round AED to two decimals (RERA Practice Guide, Nov 2024).
DLD sale fee: 4% of the sale value, split equally between seller and buyer unless agreed; title deed AED 250 (ECR 30/2013 Art. 3(1); in force 12 Oct 2026).
Mortgage registration and transfer: 0.25% of the debt; discharge AED 1,000; gift 0.125%, minimum AED 2,000 (ECR 30/2013 Table (1); in force 12 Oct 2026).
Trustee office fee: AED 4,000 + VAT from AED 500,000, AED 2,000 + VAT below (DLD service card, as at 12 Oct 2026).
Rent cap on renewal (Decree 43/2013 Art. 1): gap to index average up to 10% = 0%; 11-20% = 5%; 21-30% = 10%; 31-40% = 15%; over 40% = 20%.
The rent-cap gap is (index average - current rent) / index average, and the increase applies to the current rent, never moving it straight to the average.
Service charges: approved rate x unit area in the Real Property Register, or a share of the budget by area ratio (Law 6/2019 Art. 25; in force 12 Oct 2026).
Commission is agreed (typically 2% of a sale price, 5% of annual rent by market practice) plus 5% VAT; the DLD fee is never in its base.
CBUAE (as at 12 Oct 2026): expatriate first home up to AED 5,000,000 80% LTV; off-plan 50%; debt burden ratio 50% of gross income.
Off-plan default (Law 13/2008 Art. 11 as replaced 2017): under 60% complete keep 25% of value; 60-80% keep 40%; not started keep 30% of amounts paid.

On this page · 8 sections

Traps that cost marks

Assuming the buyer pays the full 4% by law, when the statutory default is an equal split.
Using 3.281 (feet in a metre) for an area, or multiplying when converting square feet to square metres.
Applying the 40% to the amount paid instead of the unit's contract value.
Thinking the landlord may raise the rent all the way to the index average.
Applying a per-square-foot rate to an area stated in square metres.
Believing an agreement between buyer and seller cancels the seller's own liability to the broker.
Dividing by 10.764 when moving from a per-sq-ft price to a per-sq-m price.
Dividing the discount by the sale price instead of the asking price.

Why it matters on the exam

The RERA Practice Guide (Nov 2024) labels a whole sample domain 'Real Estate Mathematics', and its worked samples convert square metres with 10.764 and round dirhams to two decimals. Questions are short, but each distractor is a real mistake: the wrong base, units swapped, VAT forgotten, the wrong tier.

•Write the formula before the numbers, and check which base the rule uses (price, debt, annual rent, area in the register).
•Check units: a rate per sq ft needs an area in sq ft.
•For tiered rules (rent cap, trustee fee, off-plan retention), find the tier first, then calculate.

Areas, rates and prices

Task	Method	Example
sq m to sq ft	x 10.764	96 sq m x 10.764 = 1,033.344 sq ft
sq ft to sq m	/ 10.764	1,250 sq ft / 10.764 = 116.13 sq m
Price per sq ft	Price / area in sq ft	AED 1,512,000 / 1,080 = AED 1,400 per sq ft
Per sq m to per sq ft	Rate per sq m / 10.764

Premium

Every note. Every question. One pass.

6 more sections of this note are part of Premium.

Every section of every study note
1,000+ original questions across every outline topic
Full timed practice exams
A worked explanation on every question
Your full mistake bank and weak-area review

Unlock with Premium

From about AED 24.92/mo on the Until-you-pass pass (12 months)

Frequently asked questions

How do you convert square metres to square feet for the RERA exam?

Multiply by 10.764, the factor used in the sample working of RERA's Real Estate Brokerage Practice Guide (Nov 2024). 100 sq m = 1,076.4 sq ft.

Exam-style questions

← Previous note: Rent Increases, Ejari & Rental Disputes All study notes