Selling Property in Dubai: Process and Costs 2026

Selling a property in Dubai takes about four to eight weeks once you have a buyer, and the main costs are the agency commission of 2 percent plus VAT and the developer's No Objection Certificate.

Here is the process, what you pay, and where sales usually slow down.

The steps

Step	What happens	Typical time
1. Valuation and listing	Agree a price and market the property	Days
2. Offer and Form F	Buyer and seller sign the MoU	1 week
3. Deposit	Buyer pays 10 percent, held by the agent	At signing
4. NOC from the developer	Confirms no outstanding service charges	3 to 10 days
5. Transfer at the trustee office	Ownership changes, you are paid	1 day

What selling costs you

Agency commission: 2 percent of the sale price plus 5 percent VAT.
Developer NOC: AED 500 to 5,000, set by the developer.
Service charges: must be settled in full before the NOC is issued.
Mortgage settlement: if you have a loan, it must be cleared before transfer, and there may be an early settlement fee of about 1 percent.

The 4 percent Dubai Land Department transfer fee is officially split, but in practice the buyer pays all of it.

Where sales stall

Unpaid service charges

The developer will not issue the NOC until the account is clear. Check the balance the day you decide to sell, not the week you are transferring.

Mortgage settlement

If the property is mortgaged, the buyer's bank usually settles yours at transfer, but the paperwork adds two to three weeks. Tell your agent early.

Pricing on hope

The most common reason a property sits is an asking price set on what the owner wants rather than what similar homes have sold for. Overpriced listings go stale, and a stale listing attracts lower offers than a fresh one.

A tenant in place

A property with a tenant can only be sold with the tenancy attached unless proper notice has been served. Investors will buy it; families generally will not.

Getting the price right

Look at what has actually transacted nearby in the last three to six months, not at what neighbours are asking. Then decide whether you want the higher number or the faster sale, because you rarely get both.

Sell with TRPE

We will value your property honestly, tell you what it will realistically achieve, and handle the process to transfer. List your property with us or speak to a RERA-licensed adviser.

Buying as well as selling? See what a purchase costs.

Frequently asked questions

What does it cost to sell a property in Dubai?+

Agency commission of 2 percent plus 5 percent VAT, a developer No Objection Certificate of AED 500 to 5,000, and any outstanding service charges, which must be cleared before the NOC is issued.

How long does it take to sell a property in Dubai?+

Usually four to eight weeks from accepting an offer to transfer. A mortgage on either side adds two to three weeks.

Does the seller pay the 4 percent Dubai Land Department fee?+

Officially the 4 percent is split between buyer and seller, but in practice the buyer pays all of it. It should be confirmed in the Memorandum of Understanding before signing.