A narrowing window
For buyers who want off-plan pricing without the multi-year wait, the most interesting shelf in the market right now is the near-completion tier. The InvestOffplan catalog currently lists 81 projects scheduled to hand over during 2026, and 45 of those are due in the fourth quarter alone.
This inventory occupies a distinct middle ground. The buildings are substantially complete, so construction risk is largely behind them — yet they still transact as off-plan, often with the remaining payment-plan tranche intact and, in some cases, post-handover instalments still available.
The window is also self-liquidating: every month, some of these projects complete and convert to ready stock, repricing along the way. Buyers who want this tier are working against a calendar, not just a market.
The trade-offs, honestly stated
The advantages are concrete: you can frequently inspect the actual building rather than a show apartment, handover risk is measured in months not years, and rental income can begin almost immediately. For buyers using financing, banks also tend to view near-complete stock more favourably.
The costs are equally real. By this stage, most of the construction-linked payment plan has already been consumed, so the effective structure resembles a heavy near-term commitment rather than the long runway that defines early off-plan. The choicest units — preferred floors, views and layouts — were typically absorbed at launch, so you are selecting from remaining inventory. And any early-buyer pricing advantage has usually been marked up through prior phases.
One further consideration is snagging and settlement logistics. Buying months before handover means you inherit the standard completion process — inspection, defect lists, service-charge setup, utility connections — almost immediately, so budget the time and the incidental costs alongside the final instalment. For overseas buyers, appointing a local representative for handover inspection is a common and sensible step.
- Inspect real construction, not renders
- Months to keys, not years
- Remaining payment obligations are compressed — model your near-term cash
- Unit selection is what's left, not what launched
- Post-handover plans, where offered, soften the cash cliff
How to shop this tier
Treat Q4 2026 handovers as a checklist exercise. Confirm the current construction status against the developer's stated completion percentage, confirm exactly what remains payable and when, and price the unit against both nearby ready resale stock and newer launches in the same district. Near-handover off-plan only makes sense when it is priced between those two reference points. Our project pages list handover quarters and payment plans side by side, which makes assembling that comparison fast.