Frequently asked questions

makan is a real estate platform designed specifically for the Omani market. Every listing includes standard details (photos, price, area, bedrooms) plus a walkable 3D scan of the actual property, so buyers can tour a home from their phone before scheduling a visit. We also power dedicated per-agency portals under each agency's own domain.

No — browsing, filtering, viewing details, and taking a 3D tour of any listing works without an account. You only need to sign in to post a listing yourself, save favourites, or send an inquiry through the site (WhatsApp inquiries work with just your phone number).

Oman's pitch to property buyers rests on three things:

1. Stability — one of the calmest political environments in the region, low crime, welcoming to expats (well over 40% of the population is foreign-born). 2. A genuinely low tax profile — no personal income tax, no annual property tax, no capital-gains tax on residential sales. 3. Freehold-plus-residency in one package inside ITCs — few countries offer both a freehold title and a renewable residency permit tied to the same purchase.

Trade-offs vs Dubai or Doha: a smaller expat market means slightly slower rental cycles and a thinner secondary market — but pricing per m² is meaningfully lower for comparable quality, and the lifestyle is quieter.

Two pieces of practical wisdom from buyers who've been through it:

1. Live in Oman for a few months before you buy. The lifestyle, weather, neighbourhood culture, and commute realities are hard to assess from a two-week trip — a longer stay tells you whether the specific location and unit type actually fit.

2. Talk to a tax advisor in your home country before you sign. Even though Oman doesn't tax the rental income or the sale profit, your home country likely does. The timing of purchase, the ownership structure (personal vs company), and how income flows home can materially change your global tax bill.

Yes, but only inside government-designated Integrated Tourism Complexes (ITCs). Purchases inside an ITC come with full freehold title and qualify the owner for a renewable residency permit. Outside ITCs, freehold is restricted to Omani nationals and GCC citizens.

Well-known ITCs include Al Mouj Muscat, Muscat Bay, Muscat Hills, Jebel Sifah, Hawana Salalah, and Saraya Bandar Jissah. Always confirm the ITC status directly with the developer or the Ministry of Housing before signing.

The typical flow is:

1. Reserve the unit — usually a small refundable deposit while paperwork is prepared. 2. Sign a Sale-Purchase Agreement (SPA) with the seller or developer. 3. Pay the down payment (typically 10-20% for ready units, or the schedule set out in the payment plan for off-plan). 4. Transfer ownership at the Ministry of Housing (MoH). Transfer fees are around 3% of the declared price, plus small stamp/administrative fees. 5. Receive the title deed (Sanad Al Ard / Sanad Al Milkiya).

Money flows through the seller's bank (for resale) or the developer's escrow (for off-plan). Engaging a licensed real-estate lawyer to review the SPA is strongly recommended for foreign buyers.

For Omani nationals and GCC citizens: ID card, marriage certificate if buying jointly with a spouse, and proof of funds.

For foreign buyers (ITC purchases): passport with valid entry stamp or residency, source-of-funds documentation from your bank, and a signed SPA with the developer/seller. If a lawyer is representing you, a notarised power of attorney.

For a ready-to-move property, the full flow:

1. Define the goal — are you buying for residence, rental yield, or residency access? This narrows the shortlist. 2. Verify eligibility — for a foreign buyer, confirm you're either buying inside an ITC (freehold) or qualifying for Usufruct outside. 3. Select the property — browse listings, view (in person or via 3D tour on makan), shortlist. 4. Reserve — sign a reservation form and pay a 5-10% deposit to take the unit off market. 5. Sale-Purchase Agreement (SPA) — review carefully (ideally with a lawyer) and sign. 6. Ministry approval — the developer or your lawyer submits the SPA to MOHUP for endorsement. 7. Final payment — clear the balance per the agreed schedule. 8. Title Deed (Mulqiya) — issued by MOHUP in your name. 9. Investor Residency — if applicable, apply once you hold the Mulqiya.

For a ready-to-move unit, expect 8-12 weeks end-to-end:

• Weeks 1-2: shortlisting and reservation • Week 3: SPA signing and deposit • Weeks 4-6: developer NOC and Ministry processing • Weeks 7-10: final payment and title deed transfer • Weeks 10-12: residency application, if applicable

Off-plan is a different animal — you sign quickly but the property itself is on the developer's construction timeline, typically 2-4 years to handover, with payment instalments distributed across that window.

Yes — roughly 60% of international property transactions in Oman are completed remotely today. The main mechanisms:

• Power of Attorney (PoA): appoint a licensed Omani lawyer to sign transaction documents on your behalf. • Digital signing: the reservation form and SPA are commonly executed via DocuSign or equivalent. • Third-party snagging: independent inspection firms handle handover, defect lists, and key collection. • IBAN transfers: pay directly into the developer's escrow account by international wire — no need to open an Omani bank account first.

For your first Omani purchase, we still recommend at least one visit before you commit — see the unit, meet the developer, walk the neighbourhood.

On top of the standard purchase documents (passport, photos, proof of funds, source-of-funds evidence on larger deals), an investor-residency application requires:

• Police clearance certificate from your country of nationality • Medical report from a Ministry-of-Health-approved centre in Oman • Valid health insurance covering Oman • Passport-size photos to the ROP specifications • The Mulqiya from your recently-completed purchase

Documents issued abroad need to be attested — apostille or embassy legalisation, depending on your country. Budget 2-4 weeks for this attestation process before you can submit.

Most residential leases run for 12 months and are renewable. The tenant usually pays: monthly (or quarterly) rent, a refundable security deposit of one month's rent, electricity and water bills, and internet. The landlord covers building maintenance, structural repairs, and common-area fees.

Leases must be registered with the Ministry of Housing under the Baladiyati system — this protects both parties and is a prerequisite for utility connections.

As a rule: the tenant pays for consumption (electricity, water, cooking gas, internet, TV) and the landlord pays for the property's fixed costs (building maintenance, community fees inside gated compounds, structural repairs).

Always confirm this in the lease — some furnished short-term rentals bundle utilities into the rent, and some new gated communities include a community-services charge that landlords sometimes try to pass through.

Sign up for a free account, click "+ New listing", and follow the two-step wizard: (1) upload photos and (optionally) a 3D scan of the property, (2) fill in the details — title, price, address, bedrooms, bathrooms, area, and pin the location on the map. Publish immediately, or save as draft and finish later.

You keep full control from your dashboard: edit fields, add or remove photos, replace the 3D scan, mark as reserved/sold, or delete the listing at any time.

Individual listings are free on the public makan showcase. For real-estate agencies wanting their own branded portal (their own domain, only their listings, business email on the domain, SEO, and WhatsApp integration), we offer tiered plans starting at around 35-75 OMR per month depending on agency size. Contact us for a demo.

Selling timelines depend on location and market cycle:

• Prime ITCs (Al Mouj, Muscat Bay): 2-4 months • Mid-market Muscat areas: 4-6 months • Best listing window: September through March, when expat corporate relocations peak

Exit costs are minimal:

• Agent commission: around 3% (typically paid by the seller) • Legal fees: 500-1,000 OMR if you engage a lawyer • Capital-gains tax: 0%

High-quality photos and a proper 3D tour matter more here than on almost any other market — well-scanned listings sell measurably faster because remote buyers can pre-qualify without a viewing.

The Integrated Tourism Complexes (ITCs) dominate expat and foreign-investor demand because of the freehold + residency package: Al Mouj Muscat (marina + beach + golf), Muscat Bay (elevated cove), Muscat Hills (gated golf resort), Saraya Bandar Jissah (secluded beach), and Jebel Sifah (short drive south, marina + resort).

Outside ITCs, the strongest resale + rental districts for Omani + GCC buyers are Al Khuwair (central), Al Ghubrah (mid-tier), Qurum (established upscale), Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos (diplomatic quarter), and Bausher (family-oriented). Sultan Haitham City is the emerging master-planned district for the coming decade.

Net yields on residential property in Muscat typically fall in the 5-7% range, before agency fees and periodic maintenance. Apartments in central districts (Al Khuwair, Ghubrah) tend to sit at the higher end because they let quickly; villas in gated communities yield slightly less but see stronger capital appreciation.

Short-term holiday rentals in ITCs (Al Mouj beachfront, Jebel Sifah) can gross well above this during peak season but require professional management to sustain, and occupancy over the full year is more variable.

Off-plan tends to price ~15-25% below the ready equivalent when the project launches, with payment plans spread over the build (typical 30/70 or 40/60 split against handover). Upside: lower cash-flow burden and capital appreciation between purchase and handover. Downside: developer risk, construction delays, and the unit doesn't earn rent until it's built.

Ready-to-move eliminates timing risk and starts earning rent immediately, but you pay full price up-front (or bank-financed at Omani rates around 4-6%). For your first Omani property investment, ready-to-move from an established developer is the lower-risk starting point.

Yields vary meaningfully by location, unit type, and rental strategy. Rough current ranges (gross, before fees and maintenance):

• Al Mouj Muscat: 6-8% gross, roughly 4-5.5% net after community fees • Muscat Bay: 5-7% gross — luxury segment tends toward lower yield but stronger capital appreciation • Jebel Sifah: 7-9% gross when run as a short-term rental • Sultan Haitham City: projected 8-10% on early phases (emerging area, higher risk premium)

Oman's zero personal income tax lifts net returns notably above comparable-quality properties in taxed jurisdictions.

For a balance of yield and occupancy, 2-bedroom apartments in prime ITCs are usually the sweet spot:

• Broadest tenant pool (young families, expat professionals) • Occupancy above 90% in established communities • Units within walking distance of retail can command a ~20% rent premium

Villas run at lower gross yield (around 4-5%) but attract stable long-term corporate tenants — 2-3 year leases from executives — which flatters risk-adjusted returns.

Short-term rentals in tourism-heavy ITCs can hit 8-10% gross with professional management, but they need active operation and stronger seasonality tolerance.

Off-plan — buying before construction is complete — is attractive for four concrete reasons:

1. Entry price is typically 10-30% below completed market value at launch. 2. Payment plans are staged over the construction period (usually 2-4 years), so you commit less cash up-front. 3. Capital appreciation between contract signing and handover is captured by the buyer, not the developer. 4. First choice of units, floors, and views before general release.

How to protect yourself: verify the developer's track record on past projects, and confirm that your instalments are paid into a legally required escrow account rather than the developer's operating account.

Yes — short-term rentals are permitted inside ITCs, and there's a growing operator ecosystem. A representative example, a furnished 2-bedroom in Al Mouj Muscat:

• Long-term lease: ~600-700 OMR / month • Short-term rental: 80-120 OMR / night, up to 1,000+ OMR / month in peak season • Annual occupancy: 60-70%

Oman's national tourism strategy targets 11.7 million visitors by 2040, which supports the demand backdrop for STRs. Check the specific community's rules before committing — some HOAs restrict daily rentals, and units near the beach or marina tend to command the strongest STR rates.

Yes. Oman's Investor Residency programme, launched in 2021, offers renewable residency permits based on investment value. Property purchases within an ITC qualify. Broadly:

• 5-year renewable residency: property investment starting around 250,000 OMR. • 10-year renewable residency: property investment starting around 500,000 OMR.

The residency covers the primary investor, spouse, and dependent children. Exact thresholds and eligible investments are set by Royal Decree and can change — verify current requirements with the Royal Oman Police (ROP) or a licensed immigration lawyer before you commit.

An ITC is a Royal-Decree-approved mixed-use development that combines residential, hospitality, and leisure components. Two things make ITCs matter for buyers:

1. Freehold ownership is available to non-Omani, non-GCC nationals — the only real-estate category in Oman with that status. 2. Purchase qualifies the owner for a renewable residency permit under the Investor Residency programme.

Live ITCs include Al Mouj Muscat, Muscat Bay, Muscat Hills, Saraya Bandar Jissah, Jebel Sifah, and Hawana Salalah. The Ministry of Housing publishes the official list.

Two routes are recognised under current law:

1. Freehold inside an Integrated Tourism Complex (ITC). Full 100% perpetual ownership, no nationality restriction, and the purchase qualifies you for a renewable residency permit. Available only in the designated ITC zones.

2. Usufruct outside an ITC, introduced by Ministerial Decision 357/2020. A leasehold right up to 99 years, aimed at expats who already live in Oman and want an urban base at lower prices than the ITCs.

Any informal arrangement in which a foreigner pays for a property registered under an Omani national's name is illegal — see the separate FAQ on nominee purchases.

The active ITCs across the sultanate include:

• Muscat: Al Mouj Muscat, Muscat Bay, Muscat Hills, Saraya Bandar Jissah, AIDA (with the Trump International Golf Club component). • Al Batinah coast: Jebel Sifah. • Salalah: Hawana Salalah.

New ITCs are added by Royal Decree from time to time. Always check a project's ITC status directly with the developer or the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (MOHUP) before signing — freehold rights only exist inside officially designated ITC zones.

Usufruct is a long-term leasehold right — up to 99 years — that lets expats own residential property outside the ITC freehold zones. Ministerial Decision 357/2020 opened this door to foreign buyers who don't want to pay ITC pricing but do want a stable, long-horizon claim on a Muscat unit.

Eligibility, as originally set out:

• Minimum 2 years of continuous residency in Oman • Applicant aged 23 or older • Property must be in a building of at least 4 floors • Minimum property value around 45,000 OMR in Muscat • Per-building cap: no more than 40% foreign ownership • Per-building cap: no more than 20% owned by a single nationality

The specific thresholds are set by regulation and can update — verify current requirements with MOHUP before you commit.

Two very different ownership regimes with different rights, costs, and target buyer:

Freehold (ITC-only) • Perpetual, no time limit • Full inheritance rights • No nationality restriction • Qualifies for renewable investor residency • Available only inside designated ITCs

Usufruct (Decision 357/2020, outside ITCs) • Up to 99-year leasehold • Requires 2+ years of Oman residency • Available in central-Muscat buildings • Generally lower entry prices than ITCs • Subject to per-building foreign-ownership caps

Rule of thumb: freehold if you're a first-time buyer wanting permanent title + residency; usufruct if you already live in Muscat and want an urban location the ITCs don't cover.

The Mulqiya is Oman's official Title Deed — the legal document that proves you own a specific property. It's issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (MOHUP) and includes the owner's name, the plot number, a description of the property, and the registration date.

Why it matters:

• It's the definitive proof of ownership in any legal dispute. • For foreign buyers inside ITCs, it certifies your 100% freehold status. • It's a mandatory document when applying for the Investor Residency visa.

Keep the original in a bank safe or with a licensed lawyer, and hold a certified copy for day-to-day use.

The Investor Residency programme currently offers two main tiers:

• 10-year renewable ("Golden Visa"): from around 200,000 OMR of qualifying investment. • 2-year Property Owner Visa: from around 100,000 OMR invested inside an ITC.

Qualifying investments include ITC property, Omani government bonds, listed equities on the MSX, fixed bank deposits, or establishing a company. The 10-year visa is renewable indefinitely as long as you keep the qualifying investment in place.

Thresholds and eligible investment categories are set by Royal Decree and update from time to time — confirm current figures with the Royal Oman Police (ROP) Directorate General of Passports & Residence, or a licensed immigration lawyer, before you commit funds.

Yes. The primary applicant's residency covers immediate family:

• Spouse • Unmarried children — no age cap • Parents (for the higher-tier categories)

Dependents receive the same visa duration as the primary applicant — 2 years for the Property Owner Visa, 10 years for the Golden Visa. Renewal happens together with the primary visa.

No. Oman does not impose a minimum-days-per-year requirement to maintain investor residency — a real difference from many other visa programmes globally. What matters is that your qualifying investment stays in place.

If you sell the property (or drop below the investment threshold), you either need to reinvest into another qualifying asset or exit the programme. The visa is tied to the investment, not to physical presence.

Yes. The Investor Residency programme gives holders the right to work in Oman or establish their own business without needing a separate employer sponsor. You are self-sponsored via your investment. This is one of the biggest advantages over a standard employment visa — you're not tied to a company for your visa status.

No — and don't try. Arrangements where a foreigner funds a property registered under an Omani national's name are illegal under Omani law. The Ministry of Housing has publicly warned that these contracts are void and offenders face serious penalties.

Beyond the legal risk, you have no real title — the nominee can sell the property without your consent, and if they refuse to transfer it back to you, your recourse in court is very limited. Stick to the two legal routes: freehold inside an ITC, or Usufruct under Decision 357/2020.

Yes. Usufruct rights are mortgageable to any of the approved Omani financing institutions. That opens the door to spreading the purchase over monthly instalments instead of paying the full amount in cash — the same route buyers take on freehold, adapted for the leasehold framework.

Rates and eligibility follow standard Omani property-finance rules (typically 4-6% and 20-25 year tenors, subject to your salary + residency profile). Confirm terms with the specific bank before signing the Sale-Purchase Agreement.

Under Omani law the remaining Usufruct term transfers to your legal heirs. It does not revert to the original owner or to the government. Your heirs step into whatever years remain on the 99-year (or shorter) clock, and they hold the same rights you did — the right to live in the property, mortgage the remaining term, sell after the transfer lock, and pass it on again in their own succession.

For foreign owners specifically, drafting an Oman-side will (in Arabic, notarised locally) covering your Usufruct rights avoids probate delays in transferring the rights to your family — a home-country will alone can take a long time to work through Omani courts.

The beneficiary is entitled to use and benefit from the property — that language is broad. Whether it extends to leasing the unit to a third party depends on the specific Sale-Purchase Agreement you sign with the licensed brokerage: many contracts allow it, some restrict it, and building rules (owners' association bylaws) can add another layer of restriction.

Bottom line: before you assume you can turn it into a rental, ask the brokerage explicitly and check the SPA text. Don't rely on the general principle alone.

The current framework is Phase 1 — Muscat governorate only, and only within specific neighbourhoods in Al Amerat, Bausher, and Al Seeb. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning has publicly indicated that additional phases are expected to open eligible areas in other governorates, subject to planning regulations and eligibility criteria.

No confirmed timeline for Phase 2. Watch MOHUP announcements. For now, if the unit you want isn't in an approved Muscat area, Usufruct isn't a route — you're back to either ITC freehold or a standard rental.

You can name heirs in a will, and Omani law recognises property inheritance. Best practice for foreign owners is to draft a dedicated Oman will (in Arabic, notarised locally) covering assets held inside the sultanate — a home-country will alone can create long delays in probate.

If no heir claims the property, it eventually reverts to state administration (via the Ministry of Awqaf), and after the statutory period passes to state ownership. If the owner is deported, they retain the right to sell the property while abroad.

The main government cost on a property purchase is a one-time 3% registration (transfer) fee, calculated on the declared property value, paid to the Ministry of Housing when the Title Deed (Mulqiya) is issued. On a 200,000 OMR purchase that's 6,000 OMR.

Small stamp-duty and administrative fees add up to a few dozen OMR on top. That's the extent of direct government charges on the purchase itself — there's no separate purchase tax and no ongoing annual property tax.

No. Oman does not levy an annual tax on residential property ownership — a genuine advantage over most global jurisdictions. Your only ongoing costs are:

• Community / service charges in gated communities (typically 3-8 OMR per m² per year) • Maintenance and repairs • Optional insurance (recommended)

No yearly tax bill to plan around.

No capital-gains tax on residential property sales for individuals — the profit is yours. This applies equally to Omani nationals and foreign owners.

The only costs on the way out are the agent's commission (typically around 3%, paid by the seller by convention) and modest legal fees if you engage a lawyer for the transfer paperwork.

Note: if you're a tax resident somewhere else, your home country may still tax the gain — talk to a cross-border tax advisor.

There's no personal income tax in Oman, so rental income isn't subject to income tax on the owner. There IS a 3% municipal rental levy on gross rental income — modest by regional standards.

Budget roughly 1% of the property's value per year for maintenance to keep the unit rentable. Even with both, Oman stays highly tax-efficient for a buy-to-let strategy.

Cross-border note: if you're a tax resident in another country, that country may still tax your Omani rental income under its worldwide-income rules — worth a conversation with a home-country accountant.

Residential property is VAT-exempt in Oman — no 5% VAT on the sale price of a home or on residential rent.

VAT does apply to:

• Commercial property transactions • Related services on any purchase — broker commissions, legal fees, snagging companies

So the property itself is exempt, but budget the 5% VAT into your service costs.

Yes — primarily for freehold units inside Integrated Tourism Complexes (Al Mouj, Muscat Bay, Hawana Salalah, etc.), where non-Omanis are legally allowed to hold title. Expect meaningfully tighter terms than a resident expat gets:

• Loan-to-value: roughly 50-70% of purchase price (vs ~80% for residents) • Tenor: usually up to 10 years for non-residents (vs 20-25 for residents) • Income verification: banks want proof of stable overseas income, often via an employer letter attested by an Omani embassy • Higher minimum salary thresholds (Sohar International's non-resident programme, for example, wants OMR 5,000/month or overseas annual income of OMR 25,000+)

Bank appetite for non-resident lending varies a lot. Bank Muscat, Sohar International, and Bank Dhofar are the most active in this segment. Shop at least two banks before locking in.

For resident expats: **up to 20-25 years**, provided the loan matures before you reach retirement age (usually 60-65). If you're already 50, expect the maximum available tenor to cap out closer to 10-15 years.

For non-resident foreigners: **usually up to 10 years**, sometimes 15, again bounded by retirement age.

Banks also cap tenor by employment horizon — if you're on a 3-year work contract and can't demonstrate longer-term stability, the tenor may be shortened to match. This is standard practice and non-negotiable at most banks.

Two separate thresholds matter:

**Personal loans:** most Omani banks want a minimum monthly income of around **OMR 300-500** with mandatory salary transfer to the lending bank.

**Mortgages:** the bar is much higher. The Central Bank of Oman caps total debt service at roughly **60% of net salary** (including the new mortgage instalment), so your income has to comfortably support that repayment plus any existing loans and credit cards. As a very rough gauge — if you want a ~500 OMR/month mortgage instalment, you need net take-home in the **OMR 1,500-2,000+** range with minimal other debt.

Sohar International's expat housing product, as one concrete example, wants **OMR 1,500/month minimum** for residents and **OMR 5,000/month** for non-residents. Other banks are broadly similar.

Yes. Islamic property financing is a fully regulated, mature part of Oman's market — no less accessible than conventional loans for eligible foreign buyers, on the same CBO prudential rules.

Two main structures:

• **Murabaha (cost-plus sale):** the bank buys the property from the seller and re-sells it to you at an agreed markup, repaid in fixed instalments over the term. Payments are predictable end-to-end.

• **Ijara (lease-to-own):** the bank owns the property and leases it to you; ownership transfers to you at the end of the term. Instalments may adjust periodically over the lease.

Main Sharia-compliant providers in Oman: **Bank Nizwa**, **Alizz Islamic Bank**, and Islamic windows of conventional banks like **Meethaq** (from Bank Muscat).

No — the residency benefit attaches to your ownership of the property, not to how you paid for it. Whether you paid cash or took a mortgage, once the Title Deed (Mulqiya) is issued in your name, the property counts for Investor Residency purposes on the same terms as a cash-bought unit.

One practical note: the residency application looks at the **property value** relative to the threshold (currently ~100,000 OMR for the 2-year Property Owner Visa, ~200,000 OMR for the 10-year Golden Visa). The purchase price matters, not the size of your down payment. So a mortgaged 250,000 OMR villa qualifies the same as a cash-bought 250,000 OMR villa.

Mala'a — the Oman Credit and Financial Information Centre — is the country's central credit bureau. Every mortgage or personal loan applicant, Omani or foreign, is screened against Mala'a's records as part of the standard underwriting process.

What lenders look at:

• Existing debts across all Omani banks (loans, credit cards, mortgages) • Payment history — timely, late, or defaulted • Bounced cheques • Unresolved legal notices from prior lenders

Why it matters: a bad Mala'a record — unresolved defaults, bounced cheques, or overdue payments — will usually block your application outright, no matter how strong your income or the property. Fix any outstanding issues before you approach a bank; a bank rejection also gets recorded and makes the next bank more cautious.

For most buyers, the two structures end up **economically similar** — pricing on Islamic products in Oman is competitive with conventional loans, and the same Central Bank of Oman prudential rules (LTV caps, debt-service caps) apply either way. The difference is structural, not cost-driven.

Pick conventional (fixed interest loan) if: • You want predictable, standardised documentation and no religious constraint • Your bank of choice offers noticeably better conventional rates than its Islamic window • You value flexibility on early settlement (though this varies by product)

Pick Islamic (Murabaha or Ijara) if: • You want Sharia-compliant contracts • You prefer the predictability of Murabaha's fixed instalments • You're comfortable with the different early-settlement rules (often a fixed rebate rather than saved interest)

Always compare the **total cost over the tenor** and the **early-settlement clause** on both a conventional and an Islamic offer before deciding.

The loan-to-value (LTV) percentage depends heavily on your borrower profile:

• **Omani nationals:** commonly up to **80-85%** of purchase price, sometimes higher on government-supported housing programmes • **Resident expats** (with valid Oman residency + salary transfer): commonly up to **~80%**, with 20-25% down • **Non-resident foreigners:** meaningfully lower, roughly **50-70%**, so plan on 30-50% down • **Islamic financing:** applies the same LTV caps under Central Bank rules — no advantage or penalty at this level

Higher-value properties often face stricter LTVs, and banks can adjust down for older borrowers, unstable employment history, or a weak Mala'a record. Get pre-qualified quotes from at least two banks before committing to a purchase; the LTV they give you determines your minimum cash-in-hand requirement, and that reshapes what you can actually afford.

The seller captures the property using an iPhone with LiDAR (iPhone 12 Pro or newer, iPad Pro), typically with a free app like Scaniverse or Polycam. The output is a GLB file that we automatically optimise on upload (Draco + Meshopt compression) so it streams smoothly on 4G. The buyer opens the listing page and walks through the property in-browser — no download, no app, no VR headset required.

No. The wizard has a "Skip 3D scan" option that publishes with photos only. However, listings with a 3D tour see meaningfully more views, more qualified inquiries, and shorter time-on-market — so we strongly recommend adding one when possible. If you don't have a LiDAR-capable device, we can arrange a paid on-site capture.