Seller Guides · 9 min read
How Much Does It Cost to Sell Property in Dubai?
The EQT Private Office · RERA-registered brokerage · Published August 19, 2026
Selling a property in Dubai usually costs the seller between 2 and 3 percent of the sale price. The single largest line is the agent commission, set at 2 percent of the price plus 5 percent VAT on that fee. On top of that you pay a developer No Objection Certificate fee of roughly AED 500 to 5,000, a trustee transfer-office fee of about AED 4,000 plus VAT, and optional conveyancing of AED 6,000 to 10,000. The 4 percent Dubai Land Department transfer fee is normally the buyer's cost, not yours, and there is no UAE capital gains tax on your profit.
Key takeaways
- •Budget 2 to 3 percent of the sale price in total seller costs on a standard cash deal.
- •Agent commission is 2 percent plus 5 percent VAT, paid to the agent you appoint under a Form A listing; it is negotiable.
- •The 4 percent DLD transfer fee is the buyer's cost by market convention, not the seller's.
- •A developer NOC costs about AED 500 to 5,000 and confirms your service charges are clear.
- •There is no UAE tax on your sale gain, though your home country may still tax you.
The main seller cost: agent commission plus VAT
The largest cost of selling in Dubai is the brokerage commission. The market standard is 2 percent of the agreed sale price, and 5 percent VAT is charged on that commission. On an AED 3 million sale the commission is AED 60,000 and the VAT on it is AED 3,000, for a total of AED 63,000.
When you sell, you pay a commission of 2 percent plus 5 percent VAT to the brokerage you appoint under the Form A listing agreement. This is negotiable, and the exact arrangement varies: on many secondary deals each side pays its own agent 2 percent, while on others a single fee is split between the two brokerages. Agree the percentage and who pays what in writing before you list, so there are no surprises on transfer day.
- •Commission: 2 percent of the sale price.
- •VAT: 5 percent on the commission only, not on the property price.
- •Confirm the split with any co-broking agent in the Form A or Form I.
The 4 percent DLD fee is usually the buyer's
The Dubai Land Department charges a transfer fee of 4 percent of the price to register the new title. By long-standing market convention the buyer pays this fee, so it is not a seller cost on a normal sale.
In a soft market a buyer may ask the seller to split or absorb part of the DLD fee as a negotiation point. That is a commercial choice, not a rule. Treat it as a discount you may or may not offer, and price it into your net expectation rather than assuming it as a fixed cost.
Developer NOC and service-charge clearance
Before a sale can transfer, the developer issues a No Objection Certificate confirming you have no outstanding service charges or violations. The NOC fee typically runs from AED 500 to about AED 5,000 depending on the developer and community.
Service charges are billed per square foot through the Mollak system and must be paid up to date before the NOC is released. If you are mid-quarter, expect to settle the balance owing so the certificate can be issued cleanly.
- •NOC fee: roughly AED 500 to 5,000.
- •Service charges must be current before the NOC is granted.
- •The NOC protects the buyer by proving the unit is free of arrears.
Costs if you still have a mortgage
If your property carries a mortgage, the outstanding loan is settled on transfer day, usually funded by the buyer's payment. Your bank issues a liability letter stating the exact figure to clear the loan.
There is also an early-settlement fee. Under UAE Central Bank rules this is capped at 1 percent of the outstanding balance or AED 10,000, whichever is lower, so it can never exceed AED 10,000. Add a mortgage discharge and re-registration step at the trustee office, which is a modest fixed charge.
- •Early-settlement fee: capped at 1 percent of the balance or AED 10,000, whichever is lower.
- •The bank provides a liability letter valid for a set number of days.
- •The loan is cleared on transfer day from the buyer's funds.
Transfer office and conveyancing
The registration trustee that processes the transfer charges a fee of about AED 4,000 plus VAT for a property over AED 500,000. This is sometimes shared with the buyer, but the amount is small relative to the deal.
Conveyancing is optional but sensible on a higher-value sale. A conveyancer manages the contract, the NOC, the trustee booking, and the funds flow for a fee of roughly AED 6,000 to 10,000. On a luxury villa or a remote sale the coordination it provides is usually worth the cost.
Worked example: net proceeds on an AED 3 million sale
Assume a straightforward cash sale at AED 3,000,000 with no mortgage. Your costs are the agent commission of AED 60,000 plus VAT of AED 3,000, an NOC fee of about AED 2,000, a trustee transfer share of roughly AED 2,100 including VAT if you agree to split it, and conveyancing of about AED 8,000.
Total seller costs come to roughly AED 75,000, or about 2.5 percent of the price. Your net proceeds are approximately AED 2,925,000. If the property had a mortgage, you would also deduct the outstanding balance and an early-settlement fee of up to AED 10,000, both funded from the sale on transfer day. Because there is no UAE capital gains tax, nothing further is deducted locally, although sellers who are tax residents elsewhere should check their home country rules.
- •Agent commission plus VAT: AED 63,000.
- •NOC: about AED 2,000.
- •Trustee transfer share and conveyancing: about AED 10,000.
- •Estimated net proceeds on a cash sale: about AED 2,925,000.
Frequently asked
Does the seller pay the 4 percent DLD transfer fee in Dubai?+
No, by market convention the buyer pays the 4 percent Dubai Land Department transfer fee. A seller only contributes to it if they agree to as a negotiation concession. Treat any such contribution as a discount rather than a fixed cost of selling.
Is there any tax on the profit when I sell in Dubai?+
There is no UAE capital gains tax, no income tax, and no annual property tax on a resale, so the gain is not taxed locally. However, if you are a tax resident of another country, that country may tax the gain under its own rules. It is worth confirming your position with a tax adviser in your home jurisdiction.
How much is the agent commission when selling property in Dubai?+
The standard brokerage commission is 2 percent of the sale price, plus 5 percent VAT charged on the commission. You pay this fee to the agent you appoint to sell, though it is negotiable and the buyer typically pays their own agent separately. On an AED 3 million sale that is AED 60,000 plus AED 3,000 VAT.
What is the early-settlement fee if I sell with a mortgage?+
UAE Central Bank rules cap the mortgage early-settlement fee at 1 percent of the outstanding balance or AED 10,000, whichever is lower. It is paid on transfer day when the loan is discharged. Your bank confirms the exact figure in a liability letter.
