Off-plan's share of total residential transactions climbed again in the second quarter, extending a trend that has defined the current cycle. New launches are absorbing a growing slice of demand, and the reason is not mysterious: payment flexibility.
Developers are competing on terms as much as price. Post-handover plans, reduced down payments and waived registration fees lower the cash hurdle to entry, drawing in first-time buyers and yield-focused investors who would otherwise sit out a ready-market purchase at full price.
The risk, as always with off-plan, sits in the gap between launch and handover. Buyers are underwriting a unit they cannot yet see, in a market that may look different on completion. Construction risk, delivery timing and the credibility of the developer's track record all move from background detail to central concern.
Our guidance: a strong payment plan is a financing tool, not a margin of safety. Treat the developer's delivery history, the realism of the handover date and the depth of end-user demand in the community as the real underwriting questions, the plan only shapes how you fund a decision you should already be comfortable making.
Figures and commentary in this update are illustrative and not investment advice.