What it costs to sell in Dubai, and what reaches your account.
Selling fees here are smaller than most owners expect, though the agent commission and a mortgage payoff still take a bite. The full ledger, the NOC and release steps, and a worked net figure.
Selling costs you about 2% of the price, a little more with a mortgage. The agent fee of 2% plus VAT is nearly the whole bill. There is no seller transfer fee, since the 4% is the buyer’s by custom, and the UAE charges no capital gains tax. A mortgage adds a small release fee and a settlement charge capped at AED 10,000.
In short
Selling costs come to about 2% of the price, a little more with a mortgage. That is well below the buying side, because there is no seller transfer fee.
The 2% agency commission plus VAT is the only large line. The NOC and the mortgage fees add a few thousand dirhams between them.
The UAE charges no capital gains tax on a sale, so the difference between your purchase and sale price is yours to keep.
A mortgage adds an AED 1,290 release fee and an early settlement charge of 1% of the balance, capped at AED 10,000.
You need a clean service charge account and a developer NOC before transfer. Leave either to the last week and the sale slips.
The costs, and who pays them
Selling is the cheaper end of a Dubai transaction. The 4% transfer fee that dominates the buying side is paid by the buyer, by long convention, which leaves the seller with a short list. On a AED 2 million sale it looks like this.
| Cost | Rate | AED |
|---|---|---|
| Agency commission | 2% + VAT | 42,000 |
| Developer NOC | About AED 2,500 + VAT | 2,625 |
| Mortgage release | Flat, if mortgaged | 1,290 |
| Early settlement | 1% of loan, max 10,000 | 10,000 |
| Total, with a mortgage | About 2.8% | 55,915 |
Agency 2% plus 5% VAT. Developer NOC around AED 2,500 plus VAT, varies by developer. Mortgage figures assume an outstanding loan of AED 1,000,000: a flat AED 1,290 release fee and a 1% early settlement charge that hits its AED 10,000 cap. Rates current at June 2026.
Sell the same unit without a mortgage and the total drops to AED 44,625, just over 2%. The difference of roughly AED 11,000 is the cost of carrying the loan to the finish line. It is rarely a reason to repay early, but it is worth knowing before you list.
What you take home
The headline price is not what reaches your account. Two amounts come off the top: the selling costs above, and whatever is left on the mortgage. Say you bought at AED 1.6 million, still owe AED 1 million, and sell at AED 2 million.
| Line | AED |
|---|---|
| Sale price | 2,000,000 |
| Less selling costs | −55,915 |
| Less mortgage repaid | −1,000,000 |
| Net cash to you | 944,085 |
Selling costs from the ledger above. Mortgage repaid in full at transfer. Excludes any rent collected or service charge settled up to the handover date.
You sold for AED 400,000 more than you paid, and none of that gain is taxed. When you are weighing up whether to sell, the figure to compare is this net amount against what the unit is worth today, rather than against the price you paid for it years ago.
Your sale, net of everything.
What lands in your account after selling costs.
The 4% DLD transfer fee and the trustee office fee are customarily paid by the buyer in Dubai, so they are not in your column. Everything is negotiable in the MOU, so confirm who pays what before you sign Form F.
The NOC and the mortgage release
Two steps decide how smoothly a sale closes. The first is the No Objection Certificate. Your developer issues it to confirm you owe nothing on service charges, and the Land Department will not transfer the title without it. Clear any outstanding Mollak balance early. The NOC is withheld while a charge is open, and one unpaid quarter can hold up the whole sale.
The second is the mortgage. If you still have one, your bank issues a liability letter with the exact payoff figure. At transfer the loan is settled, often by the buyer’s bank, the mortgage is released, and the new title is registered in the same sitting at the trustee office. The conveyancer and the trustee handle the mechanics. Your part is to keep the NOC and the liability letter moving so that neither one holds up the date.
Before you list
Price from what sold, not from what is asking.
Listings in Dubai sit above the market, often by 5 to 10%, because nothing stops an owner asking high. Price your unit from recent registered transfers for the same building and layout. A well-priced unit sells in weeks; an optimistic one drifts for months and ends up discounted anyway.
Settle the service charges before you sign anything.
The NOC depends on a clean Mollak account. Owners who leave a quarter unpaid tend to find out on the day the buyer is ready, and the delay can cost them the deal. Check the balance now.
Ask for the liability letter early if you are mortgaged.
Banks take their time. Request the payoff figure as soon as you have a serious buyer, so the release runs alongside the NOC rather than after it. That is the difference between a four-week close and an eight-week one.
Decide whether the agent earns the 2%.
A good agent brings buyers and handles the Form F, the trustee booking and the cheques, and for most sellers that is worth the fee. If you already have a willing buyer, you can transact directly and keep it. Either way, agree the commission and who pays the transfer fee in writing before the MOU.
Fees current at June 2026 and indicative. Developer NOC charges and bank settlement terms vary; confirm yours before you list. Not financial or legal advice.
Questions
- How much does it cost to sell a property in Dubai?
- About 2% of the sale price, a little more if the property is mortgaged. The agent commission of 2% plus VAT is nearly all of it. The developer NOC adds a few thousand dirhams, and a mortgaged unit also pays a small release fee and an early settlement charge capped at AED 10,000. There is no seller transfer fee; the 4% is paid by the buyer by custom.
- Is there capital gains tax when you sell property in Dubai?
- No. The UAE charges individuals no capital gains tax and no income tax on a property sale, so the gap between what you paid and what you sell for is yours. Anyone comparing a Dubai sale with one in London or Mumbai will notice the difference.
- Can I sell a property in Dubai that still has a mortgage?
- Yes, and it happens every day. Your bank issues a liability letter stating the outstanding balance. The loan is settled at transfer, usually by the buyer or the buyer's bank, the mortgage is released at the Land Department, and the title moves across in the same sitting. Budget for the AED 1,290 release fee and an early settlement charge of 1% of the balance, capped at AED 10,000.
- What does it cost to sell an off-plan property before handover?
- More than a ready sale, and the amount varies, because the developer sets the terms. Reselling off-plan is an assignment of contract: you pass your purchase agreement to a new buyer, who takes over the remaining payments. Most developers only allow it once you have paid a minimum share of the price, commonly 30 to 40%, and they charge an NOC admin fee that usually runs AED 1,000 to 5,000. The larger variable is the developer's own assignment fee, which some set as a percentage of the price, plus the DLD charge to move the contract on the Oqood. Get the developer's resale policy in writing before you market the unit, because it can move your net by tens of thousands.
- How long does it take to sell and transfer in Dubai?
- From an accepted offer to the title transfer is commonly four to eight weeks. The signing and the deposit happen quickly. The pace is set by the developer NOC, which can take anything from a few days to two weeks, and by the mortgage release if either side is financed. A cash buyer on an unmortgaged unit can complete in under a fortnight.
- Do I have to pay an agent if I find the buyer myself?
- Only if you signed an agency agreement. With no agreement there is no commission, and a private sale saves you the full 2% plus VAT. Most owners still list with an agent for the reach and the paperwork, but if a neighbour or your tenant wants to buy, you can transact directly through a registration trustee and keep the fee.
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Mulki keeps your net equity and selling costs current, so you decide on today's numbers.
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