Every rental deal progresses through defined stages. Understanding these stages helps you manage your pipeline, spot bottlenecks, and ensure deals move to completion without getting stuck.
The 7 Deal Stages
1. Draft → Initial creation, collecting basic info 2. Document Collection → Actively gathering required documents 3. Contract Signing → Contract negotiation and signature 4. Payment Processing → Collecting deposit and first payment 5. Ejari Ready → All requirements met, ready to register 6. Ejari Submitted → Submitted to typing center, awaiting certificate 7. Completed → Ejari received, tenant moved in
Average Timeline: 7-10 days (TenancyDesk users) vs 14-18 days (manual process)
Stage 1: Draft (Day 0-1)
Purpose: Capture initial deal information without pressure.
What Happens:
- Deal created with property address and basic rental terms
- Tenant/owner names entered (partial info OK)
- No strict requirements—this is your workspace
When to Stay in Draft:
- Still negotiating rental terms with tenant
- Waiting for property owner approval
- Don't have tenant Emirates ID yet
- Exploring multiple tenants (create draft for each)
When to Move Forward:
- Rental terms agreed (rent amount, start date, duration)
- Tenant committed (verbal or written agreement)
- Ready to start document collection process
Common Mistake: Keeping deals in Draft for 2+ weeks → Indicates deal may be dead. Archive or convert to lead.
Pro Tip: Create Draft deals liberally. They're free and help track your pipeline even for maybes.
Stage 2: Document Collection (Day 1-5)
Purpose: Systematically gather all required documents.
Required Documents Checklist:
From Tenant:
- Emirates ID (front + back)
- Passport (photo page)
- UAE visa (valid)
- Proof of income (salary certificate or bank statements)
From Owner:
- Emirates ID or passport
- Title deed (latest version)
- Power of Attorney (if applicable)
Property:
- DEWA bill (for premise number)
- Tenancy contract (draft or final)
Best Practices:
- Send document request immediately upon entering this stage
- Use WhatsApp for faster response (email = slow)
- Mark each document as received to track progress
- Follow up every 48 hours for missing items
Typical Timeline: 3-5 days
- Fast tenant: 1-2 days (organized, motivated)
- Average: 3-4 days (needs reminders)
- Slow: 7+ days (disorganized, low commitment)
When to Move Forward:
- All documents received and uploaded
- AI extraction completed (if using)
- Document quality verified (colored, clear, not expired)
Warning Signs:
- Tenant takes 5+ days to provide Emirates ID → Low commitment risk
- Documents are blurry/black & white → Will fail Ejari, request re-scan now
Stage 3: Contract Signing (Day 5-7)
Purpose: Finalize and execute the tenancy contract.
What Happens:
- Contract drafted with agreed terms
- Both parties review contract
- Signatures collected (digital or physical)
- Signed contract uploaded to system
Contract Essentials (UAE Law Requirements):
- Parties: Full names, Emirates ID numbers
- Property: Complete address, unit number
- Term: Start date, end date, duration
- Rent: Annual amount, payment frequency
- Deposit: Security deposit amount
- Signatures: All parties + witnesses (recommended)
Signing Methods:
Option A: Physical Signing
- Print contract → Parties sign in person → Scan and upload
- Time: Same day if parties meet
Option B: Digital Signing
- Download the contract and sign it with your own e-signature tool
- Parties sign electronically → Upload the signed copy back to TenancyDesk
- Time: 1-2 days (depends on party responsiveness)
When to Move Forward:
- Contract fully signed by all parties
- All pages initialed (best practice)
- Signed copy uploaded to TenancyDesk
Common Blocker: Owner traveling abroad, can't sign → Solution: Power of Attorney or digital signing
Stage 4: Payment Processing (Day 7-8)
Purpose: Collect security deposit and first rent payment.
Payment Checklist:
- Security deposit received (typically 5-10% of annual rent)
- First rent payment/cheque received
- All cheques collected (if multi-cheque payment)
- Deposit cleared (if bank transfer)
Payment Methods:
- Bank transfer (most common, fastest to verify)
- Cheques (standard for UAE rentals)
- Cash (rare, requires receipt)
Best Practice: Don't move to Ejari stage until money is secured. Ejari costs AED 220+ and you don't want to pay if tenant backs out.
When to Move Forward:
- Deposit received and cleared
- First payment/cheque in hand
- Payment schedule documented in system
Red Flag: Tenant delays payment after signing contract → Risk of deal falling through. Set 72-hour deadline.
Stage 5: Ejari Ready (Day 8-9)
Purpose: Final verification before Ejari submission.
Ejari Readiness Score: Must be 100/100
What's Checked: All documents uploaded (no missing items) DEWA number format valid (10 digits) No expired documents Contract signed by all parties Tenant visa valid Title deed matches owner name Payment confirmed
Pre-Flight Checklist:
- Review Ejari tab → All green indicators
- Download submission package (ZIP file)
- Verify all PDFs are clear and colored
- Double-check DEWA number (most common error)
- Confirm typing center appointment
When to Move Forward:
- Score is 100/100 (Green)
- Typing center appointment booked
- Ready to go TODAY
Don't Move Forward If:
- Any red indicators remain
- DEWA number unverified
- Tenant visa missing
Average Time in This Stage: 1 day (verification and preparation)
Stage 6: Ejari Submitted (Day 9-10)
Purpose: Track submission in progress.
What Happens:
- Visit typing center with documents
- Typing agent submits to RERA system
- Pay fees: AED 220 (RERA) + AED 100-200 (typing center)
- Receive Ejari certificate (usually immediate)
- Upload certificate to TenancyDesk
Typical Timeline: Same day (30-60 minutes at typing center)
If Rejected:
- Most common reasons: Invalid DEWA, missing visa, expired ID
- Fix issue and re-submit (another AED 220 fee!)
- This is why pre-flight check is CRITICAL
When to Move Forward:
- Ejari certificate received
- Certificate uploaded to system
- Ejari number recorded
Stage 7: Completed (Day 10+)
Purpose: Archive successful deal, maintain records.
What Happens:
- Deal marked as complete
- Ejari certificate on file
- Tenant can now:
- Connect DEWA in their name
- Apply for UAE visa (if needed)
- Enroll children in schools
- Use address for official purposes
Deal Archived but Accessible:
- Removed from active pipeline
- Available in "Completed Deals" view
- All documents retained for 10 years (RERA requirement)
- Can be used as template for renewals
Post-Completion Actions:
- Send welcome email to tenant with Ejari certificate
- Activate payment reminders for upcoming rent
- Set renewal reminder for 90 days before expiry
- Add property to maintenance tracking (if applicable)
Pipeline Management Tips
Dashboard Views:
Kanban View: Visual columns for each stage
Draft (12) | Docs (8) | Contract (5) | Payment (3) | Ready (2) | Submitted (1) | Complete (45)
Identify Bottlenecks:
-
20+ deals in "Document Collection" → Problem: Slow document gathering
- Solution: More aggressive follow-up, WhatsApp automation
-
10+ deals in "Contract Signing" → Problem: Slow owner approvals
- Solution: Digital signing, Power of Attorney setup
-
Deals stuck in "Payment" for 5+ days → Problem: Tenant financing issues
- Solution: Require deposit upfront, set payment deadlines
Weekly Pipeline Review: Every Monday morning:
- Review deals by stage
- Identify deals stuck >3 days in any stage
- Assign tasks to move them forward
- Archive dead deals (no activity for 14+ days)
Moving Deals Backward
Yes, You Can Move Backward:
When to Regress:
- Document expires → Back to "Document Collection"
- Contract needs re-signing → Back to "Contract Signing"
- Payment bounces → Back to "Payment Processing"
- Ejari rejected → Back to "Ejari Ready" (fix issues)
How: Deal detail page → Stage dropdown → Select previous stage
Why This Matters: Prevents false progress. Better to be honest about status than pretend deal is further along than reality.
Success Metrics
Track These Numbers:
Average Days Per Stage:
- Draft: <1 day
- Document Collection: 3-4 days
- Contract Signing: 1-2 days
- Payment: 1 day
- Ejari Ready: 1 day
- Ejari Submitted: 1 day
- TOTAL: 8-10 days (target)
Conversion Rate:
- Draft → Document Collection: 70% (some deals die)
- Document Collection → Contract: 85%
- Contract → Payment: 95%
- Payment → Completed: 98%
Overall Draft → Completed: 55-60% (industry standard)
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