What it costs to sell in Dubai, and what you actually walk away with.
Selling fees here are smaller than most owners fear, but the agent commission and a mortgage payoff can still take a real bite. The full ledger, the NOC and release steps, and a worked net figure.
By the Mulki team · Updated 13 June 2026
Selling costs you about 2 to 3% of the price. The agent fee of 2% plus VAT is nearly the whole bill. There is no seller transfer fee, the 4% is the buyer's by custom, and the UAE takes no capital gains tax. A mortgage adds a small release fee and a settlement charge capped at AED 10,000.
Total selling costs land near 2 to 3% of the price, far less than the buying side, because there is no seller transfer fee.
The 2% agency commission plus VAT is the one number that matters. Everything else is rounding by comparison.
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 clear service charges and obtain a developer NOC before transfer. Leave both 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 here, by long convention, so a seller is left with a much shorter 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 bottom line drops to AED 44,625, a hair over 2%. That gap, roughly AED 11,000, is the price of carrying debt to the finish line. It is rarely a reason to rush an early repayment, but it is worth knowing before you list.
What you actually take home
Headline price is not what reaches your account. Two things come off the top: the selling costs above, and whatever is left on the mortgage. Say you bought at AED 1.6 million, 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 over what you paid, and because none of that gain is taxed, the equity that lands is real. The number to watch when you decide whether to sell is this net figure against your unit's current value, not the price you once paid for it.
Your sale, net of everything.
Use recent transactions in your building, not the listing prices around you.
2.21% of your sale price, before the mortgage is settled.
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 above. But 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, because the NOC will not be granted while a charge is open, and a single unpaid quarter can stall the whole deal.
The second is the mortgage. If you are still financed, your bank issues a liability letter with the exact payoff. 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. It sounds involved. In practice the conveyancer and the trustee run it, and your job is to keep the NOC and the liability letter moving so neither becomes the bottleneck.
Before you list
- 01
Price from what sold, not what is asking.
Listings sit above the market in Dubai, often by 5 to 10%, because nothing stops an owner asking high. Price your unit off recent registered transfers for the same building and layout. An honest price sells in weeks; an aspirational one drifts for months and ends up discounted anyway.
- 02
Settle service charges before you sign anything.
The NOC depends on a clean Mollak account. Owners who leave a quarter unpaid discover it on the day the buyer is ready, and the delay can cost the deal. Check the balance now, not later.
- 03
Get 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 in parallel with the NOC rather than after it. This is the difference between a four-week close and an eight-week one.
- 04
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 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.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to sell a property in Dubai?
- Around 2 to 3% of the sale price. The agent commission, 2% plus VAT, is almost all of it. The developer NOC adds a few thousand dirhams, and if the property is mortgaged you also pay a small release fee and an early settlement charge capped at AED 10,000. There is no seller transfer fee. The 4% goes to 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 personal income tax on a property sale, so the gain between what you paid and what you sell for is yours. This is one of the real advantages of owning here, and it is worth remembering when you compare a Dubai sale to one in London or Mumbai.
- Can I sell a property in Dubai that still has a mortgage?
- Yes, and it is routine. Your bank issues a liability letter stating the outstanding balance. The loan is settled at transfer, usually funded 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 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, and more variably, than a ready sale, because the developer sets the terms. Reselling off-plan is an assignment of contract: you hand 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 bigger 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 shift 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 deposit happen fast. What sets the pace is the developer NOC, which can take a few days to two weeks, and 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 genuine 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 tenant wants to buy, you can transact directly through a registration trustee and keep the fee.
Mulki keeps your net equity and selling costs current, so the decision is never a guess.
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