What selling actually costs you.
The listing price is not what you keep. See every seller-side fee and your true net proceeds before you commit to anything.
Selling a Dubai property costs the seller roughly 2% to 2.5% of the price: the 2% agent commission plus VAT, the developer NOC fee, and any mortgage release and early-settlement fees if the unit is financed. The 4% DLD transfer fee is customarily paid by the buyer, so it stays out of your column. This calculator shows your true net proceeds.
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 seller's column
- 01
Agent commission: 2% plus VAT.
The standard ask, signed in Form A. On a AED 2.5M sale that is AED 52,500, by far the largest seller cost, and the one most worth negotiating.
- 02
Developer NOC: AED 500 to 5,000 plus VAT.
Required for transfer. The developer checks you owe nothing on service charges, which is one more reason to keep your Mollak account clean.
- 03
Mortgage release and early settlement, if financed.
AED 1,290 to DLD for the release, plus a bank early-settlement fee of 1% of the outstanding balance capped at AED 10,000. Your liability letter states the exact figure.
Buyer customarily pays the 4% DLD transfer fee and trustee fee. Assumptions last reviewed June 2026. General information, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
- Who pays the 4% DLD transfer fee when selling?
- By custom in Dubai, the buyer pays the 4% Dubai Land Department transfer fee and the trustee office fee. But this is convention, not law. The split can be negotiated in the MOU (Form F), and in softer markets sellers sometimes absorb part of it to close a deal. Confirm who pays what in writing before signing.
- What is an NOC and how much does it cost?
- A No Objection Certificate from your developer confirms you have no outstanding service charges or obligations, and it is required before DLD will transfer the title. Fees typically range from AED 500 to AED 5,000 plus VAT depending on the developer, and processing takes from a few days to two weeks.
- How does selling work if I have a mortgage?
- Your bank issues a liability letter stating the outstanding balance. The buyer (or their bank) settles your loan first, DLD blocks the title during the process, your bank releases the mortgage (AED 1,290 DLD fee), and the transfer completes. Expect an early settlement fee of 1% of the outstanding balance, capped at AED 10,000.
- How long does it take to sell a property in Dubai?
- A cash sale with a ready NOC can complete in two to four weeks. Add a buyer mortgage and a seller mortgage release and six to ten weeks is more realistic. The NOC and the bank's liability letter are usually the slowest steps, so starting them early shortens everything.
- Is the 2% agent commission negotiable?
- Yes, especially on higher-value properties or when the same agency represents both sides. 2% plus VAT is the standard ask; what's signed in Form A is what binds. Selling without an agent is legal and saves the commission, but you take on pricing, marketing, and conveyancing coordination yourself.
- What it costs to sell in DubaiThe full fee ledger, the NOC and mortgage steps, and a worked net figure.
- Should you sell at all?The sell-or-hold framework for underperforming units, swap costs included.
- Rental yield calculatorCheck what the unit earns you now before deciding to let it go.
- Rental yield in Dubai: the owner's guideTypical yields by area, so you know what redeployed money could earn.
Know what every unit would net, before you need to.
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