2,429 ready flats changed hands in Dubai in September 2026, and the median sold for AED 1,200,000. On that price a seller with no mortgage, on the usual terms, pays AED 25,200 in agency commission and VAT. The seller keeps AED 1,174,800, which is 97.9 per cent of the price, before the developer’s own fee for a no objection certificate.
That is the good case. A mortgage, a seller’s share of the transfer fee or a slow NOC can change it. This guide goes through every charge a Dubai seller can face, where each one comes from, and the steps between agreeing a price and handing over the keys.
The seller’s bill, line by line
| Charge | Where it comes from | On AED 1,200,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Agency commission | Market convention of 2 per cent. Not regulated, so negotiable | AED 24,000 |
| VAT on commission | 5 per cent | AED 1,200 |
| DLD transfer fee | DLD schedule: 2 per cent seller, 2 per cent buyer. The buyer usually pays all 4 per cent | AED 0 on usual terms. AED 24,000 if the seller pays its 2 per cent |
| Developer NOC | Set by each developer | Not published by the DLD |
| Registration trustee fee | DLD: AED 4,000 plus VAT at AED 500,000 or more | Modelled as a buyer cost |
| Tax on the gain | No tax for an individual selling property held personally | AED 0 |
| Seller pays, usual terms | AED 25,200 | |
| Seller keeps | AED 1,174,800 |
Two lines need care. The DLD lists the 4 per cent transfer fee as 2 per cent from the seller and 2 per cent from the buyer. In Dubai practice the buyer almost always pays all of it, which is how our buyer cost guide models it. It is still a negotiation. Write down who pays it before you sign anything.
The DLD page also does not say who pays the registration trustee fee of AED 4,000 plus VAT. Our buyer guide treats it as a buyer cost, so it is left out of the seller total here. Agree that one in writing too. On tax, see our full list of Dubai property taxes.
If the property has a mortgage
A mortgaged sale adds at least three costs and one practical problem. The costs come from the Central Bank and the DLD.
- Early settlement fee. The Central Bank caps it at 1 per cent of the outstanding balance or AED 10,000, whichever is less, before VAT. The cap stops rising once the balance passes AED 1,000,000. At the cap the fee is AED 10,000 plus AED 500 VAT.
- Mortgage release at the DLD. The DLD lists AED 1,290 for the release procedure and AED 315 for the registrar. That is AED 1,605 together. The page does not say which party pays.
- Liability letter. This is the bank letter stating what you still owe. The Central Bank caps it at AED 85 before VAT.
- Fixed rate loans. The Central Bank mortgage regulation also lets a lender recover its actual cost of breaking a fixed rate loan. Ask your bank for that figure in writing before you agree a price.
On the median ready flat, with a balance of AED 1,000,000 or more, and assuming the seller pays all of them, those charges take the seller’s bill on usual terms to AED 37,394.25.
The practical problem is cash. At the transfer the DLD asks for manager’s cheques, one to the bank or developer for the debt and one to the seller for what is left. The buyer’s money clears your loan on the day. If you owe more than the sale price, you must find the difference yourself before the deal can close.
What sellers keep, by flat size
The same usual terms applied to the September median for each flat size. Commission is 2 per cent plus 5 per cent VAT. There is no mortgage and the buyer pays the transfer fee.
| Flat | Ready sales | Median price | Commission and VAT | Seller keeps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 536 | 550,000 | 11,550 | 538,450 |
| 1 bed | 988 | 1,050,000 | 22,050 | 1,027,950 |
| 2 bed | 665 | 2,000,738 | 42,015 | 1,958,723 |
| 3 bed | 200 | 3,300,000 | 69,300 | 3,230,700 |
The steps, and where sellers lose time
- Agree the price and the terms. Put the split of the transfer fee and the trustee fee in the agreement you sign with the buyer.
- Get the developer NOC. The DLD sale service asks for an electronic no objection certificate from the developer, requested through the Dubai REST app. Developers set their own fee for it.
- Clear the building side. For buildings managed in the Mollak system there is also an eNOC from the management company. The DLD says it takes 3 to 5 working days and is not a substitute for the developer NOC.
- If mortgaged, get the liability letter. Your bank issues it. It sets the amount on the bank’s cheque.
- Transfer at a Real Estate Registration Trustee centre. Both parties attend with an Emirates ID, or a passport for a non resident. The DLD lists 25 minutes for a standard sale and 15 to 20 minutes for a mortgaged one, once the paperwork is complete.
Five things that catch sellers out
- The 4 per cent is split on paper. If the agreement is silent, you leave room for a fight at the trustee centre.
- The NOC wait. Two certificates can be needed and the building one alone takes days. Start them as soon as you have a buyer.
- The mortgage gap. If the loan is bigger than the price, the deal stalls until you cover it.
- Pricing against the wrong sales. In September 2026 buyers in the same building paid a median 27.5 per cent apart per square foot. Our guide on checking what a Dubai property sold for shows how to find the fair range.
- Selling off plan before handover. Some developers restrict resale before handover until a set share of the price is paid. See when you may not be allowed to sell.
US owners have one more line to check. Dubai does not tax an individual on the gain, but the United States may. Our US site explains US tax when selling Dubai property.
Method and limits
Fee sources. The Dubai Land Department pages for property sale registration and for registering the sale of a mortgaged property, the DLD eNOC guide, and Central Bank of the UAE Regulation 29/2011, Appendix 2. All were read on 16 October 2026. Central Bank fee caps are stated before VAT, and VAT is applied at 5 per cent.
Price source. The DLD transaction register extracted on 12 October 2026, September 2026 rows. The site standard basis is sales only, residential usage, property type Unit, at or above AED 500 per square foot, which gives 9,608 sales. This page keeps the Flat subtype only and ready status only. That leaves 2,429 ready flats, 27.6 per cent of 8,804 flats sold.
Limits. The 2 per cent agency commission is a market convention, not a regulated rate. Developer NOC fees are not published by the DLD and vary by developer, so they are not in any total. The DLD pages do not assign every fee to buyer or seller, so the usual terms here follow our buyer cost guide and you should confirm them in your agreement. Mortgage figures assume the Central Bank caps apply in full. A fixed rate loan can cost more to break. This page is information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
Questions people ask
Who pays the DLD transfer fee when you sell in Dubai?
The DLD schedule lists 2 per cent from the seller and 2 per cent from the buyer. In practice the buyer usually pays the full 4 per cent. It is negotiable, so put it in writing. On the median ready flat sold in September 2026, the seller’s 2 per cent would be AED 24,000.
How much commission does a seller pay in Dubai?
The market convention is 2 per cent plus 5 per cent VAT. It is not regulated. On AED 1,200,000 that is AED 25,200.
What does it cost to clear a mortgage when you sell?
The Central Bank caps the early settlement fee at 1 per cent of the balance or AED 10,000, whichever is less, plus VAT. The DLD adds AED 1,605 for the mortgage release. A fixed rate loan can also carry a break cost.
Is there capital gains tax when you sell property in Dubai?
Not for an individual selling property held personally. Owners who are tax resident elsewhere, including US citizens, may owe tax at home.
How long does a Dubai property transfer take?
The DLD lists 25 minutes at the trustee centre for a standard sale. The paperwork before it takes longer. The building eNOC alone takes 3 to 5 working days.