Seller Guides · 4 min read
Cost to Sell Property in Dubai: Every Seller Fee (2026)
The EQT Private Office · RERA-registered brokerage · Published August 19, 2026 · Updated September 24, 2026
Selling a property in Dubai costs the seller between 2 and 3 percent of the sale price on a standard deal. The largest line is the agent commission: 2 percent of the price plus 5 percent VAT on that fee. You also pay a developer No Objection Certificate (NOC) 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 buyer pays the 4 percent Dubai Land Department transfer fee, and the UAE does not tax 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.
- •By market convention the buyer pays the 4 percent DLD transfer fee.
- •A developer NOC costs about AED 500 to 5,000 and confirms your service charges are clear.
- •The UAE does not tax your sale gain, though your home country may.
The main seller cost: agent commission plus VAT
Brokerage commission is your largest cost. The market standard is 2 percent of the agreed sale price, with 5 percent VAT on the commission. On an AED 3 million sale, that is AED 60,000 in commission and AED 3,000 in VAT, AED 63,000 in total.
You pay the commission to the brokerage you appoint under the Form A listing agreement. The rate is negotiable and arrangements differ: on many secondary deals each side pays its own agent 2 percent, while on others the two brokerages split a single fee. Agree the percentage and who pays what in writing before you list.
- •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 it, so it is not a seller cost on a normal sale.
In a slower market a buyer may ask you to split or absorb part of the DLD fee as a negotiating point. That is your commercial choice, not a rule. Treat it as a discount you may offer and factor it into your expected net figure.
Developer NOC and service-charge clearance
Before the sale can transfer, the developer issues a No Objection Certificate confirming you have no outstanding service charges or violations. The NOC fee 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 you must be paid up to date before the developer releases the NOC. If you are mid-quarter, expect to settle the balance owing first.
- •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 has no arrears.
Costs if you still have a mortgage
If your property has a mortgage, the outstanding loan is paid off on transfer day, funded from the buyer's payment. Your bank issues a liability letter with the exact amount needed to clear the loan.
You also pay an early-settlement fee. UAE Central Bank rules cap it at 1 percent of the outstanding balance or AED 10,000, whichever is lower, so it never exceeds AED 10,000. The trustee office also charges a modest fixed fee to discharge the mortgage.
- •Early-settlement fee: capped at 1 percent of the balance or AED 10,000, whichever is lower.
- •The bank's liability letter is 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 about AED 4,000 plus VAT for a property over AED 500,000. You may share this with the buyer; either way it is small next to the deal.
Conveyancing is optional. A conveyancer manages the contract, the NOC, the trustee booking and the flow of funds for roughly AED 6,000 to 10,000. On a luxury villa, or if you are selling from abroad, that coordination earns its fee.
Worked example: net proceeds on an AED 3 million sale
Take a cash sale at AED 3,000,000 with no mortgage. You pay agent commission of AED 60,000 plus AED 3,000 VAT, 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.
Your total costs come to roughly AED 75,000, about 2.5 percent of the price, leaving net proceeds of approximately AED 2,925,000. With a mortgage, you would also deduct the outstanding balance and an early-settlement fee of up to AED 10,000, both paid from the sale on transfer day. The UAE has no capital gains tax, so nothing more is deducted locally; if you are tax resident elsewhere, check your home country's 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. You contribute only if you agree to it as a negotiating concession, which works like a discount on the price.
Is there any tax on the profit when I sell in Dubai?+
The UAE has no capital gains tax, no income tax and no annual property tax, so your gain is not taxed locally. If you are tax resident in another country, that country may tax the gain, so check with a tax adviser there.
How much is the agent commission when selling property in Dubai?+
The standard commission is 2 percent of the sale price plus 5 percent VAT on the commission, paid to the agent you appoint. It is negotiable, and the buyer 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 it at 1 percent of the outstanding balance or AED 10,000, whichever is lower. You pay it on transfer day when the loan is discharged, and your bank confirms the exact figure in a liability letter.
