Mortgage Finder launches 1% cashback scheme for first-time UAE homebuyers

Mortgage Finder, the mortgage advisory platform of Property Finder, has introduced a 1% Mortgage Cashback programme aimed at helping first-time homebuyers overcome upfront purchasing costs and enter the UAE property market.

The initiative provides eligible buyers with cashback equivalent to 1% of their mortgage value, ranging from AED 10,000 to AED 150,000, depending on the size of the approved home loan. The cashback is available on eligible mortgages starting from AED 1 million and is offered as a guaranteed benefit rather than a prize draw or promotional competition.

According to Mortgage Finder, the programme has been launched as improving market conditions create favourable opportunities for first-time buyers, while addressing one of the biggest obstacles to homeownership—the initial costs associated with purchasing a property.

Eligibility criteria

To qualify for the cashback programme, applicants must:

• Be UAE nationals or residents.
• Be 21 years of age or older.
• Have not held a mortgage during the previous two years.
• Secure an eligible mortgage of at least AED 1 million.
• Purchase a qualifying property through a participating real estate agency.

Eligible properties on the Property Finder platform will be identified with a dedicated Mortgage Cashback badge.

Expansion across the UAE

The programme has initially launched in partnership with Driven Properties in Dubai and will subsequently expand to MD Real Estate in Abu Dhabi. Mortgage Finder said it plans to add more agency partners over the coming months, making the initiative available across a wider range of properties and emirates.

The cashback scheme complements government initiatives aimed at increasing homeownership, including the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the Dubai Real Estate Strategy 2033, by helping reduce the financial barriers faced by first-time buyers.

Enguerran Milhiet, Vice President of Mortgage Finder, said the current market offers buyers greater choice, stronger negotiating power and increasing support from both the public and private sectors.

He noted that while financing has become more accessible, upfront costs remain a significant hurdle for many aspiring homeowners.

"Mortgage Cashback was created to remove part of that barrier. By returning meaningful cash to buyers when they need it most, we're helping more people turn today's market opportunity into homeownership," Milhiet said.

He added that the initiative builds on government efforts to support first-time buyers while extending those benefits across ready properties, multiple emirates and an extensive network of banking partners.

Mortgage Finder said the programme forms part of its broader strategy to make home financing simpler, more accessible and financially rewarding, enabling more UAE residents to purchase their first home with greater confidence.