How to Sell Property in Dubai

Updated September 2026

To sell property in Dubai, you sign a listing agreement (Form A) with a licensed broker, agree terms with a buyer in the unified sale contract (Form F), get a no-objection certificate from the developer and clear any mortgage, then transfer ownership at a Dubai Land Department (DLD) Real Estate Registration Trustee office. The DLD's transfer fee is 4% of the price. Individuals selling in a personal capacity pay no UAE tax on the gain.

Forms A and FThe DLD's standard contractsFeesWho pays the 4% and the restMortgage and NOCWhat must be cleared firstSourcedDLD, FTA and Dubai law

Before you list: what to check

A few checks now avoid delays at transfer, when both parties and their money are in the room.

Title deed: the broker needs the certificate number and year to create Form A, and the DLD system validates it against your ID or passport.
Mortgage balance: ask your bank for the outstanding amount early. The buyer's funds must cover it, or you pay the difference.
Developer or management company: ask what they need before issuing a no-objection certificate (NOC), including whether service charges must be settled first.
Tenancy: Form A asks whether an Ejari tenancy is registered on the property. A sale does not end a lease on its own; see the notice rules in our guide to UAE rental laws.
Price: check recent registered sales for your building. Our property valuation tool gives a starting estimate.

See tenant rights and notice periods in Dubai if the property is let, and use the free property valuation tool before you set an asking price.

How to sell property in Dubai, step by step

Sign Form A

The listing agreement with your broker, approved by you through the DLD system.

Advertising permit

Your broker gets a Trakheesi permit before the property is advertised.

Agree terms, sign Form F

The unified sale contract between you and the buyer, prepared by the brokers.

Developer NOC

In freehold areas the developer must issue a no-objection certificate.

Clear the mortgage

If there is a loan, the bank issues a liability letter and is paid off at transfer.

Transfer

Both parties at a Real Estate Registration Trustee office. The buyer's title deed is issued.

1. Form A: the seller's agreement with the broker

Form A (the DLD calls it Contract A) is the brokerage agreement between you and the agency marketing your property. The broker creates it in the DLD's Dubai Brokers system: they enter your title deed details, the property and financial details, the commission and the contract duration, and upload a NOC signed by you. The system then sends you a link to approve it. Dubai's Bylaw No. 85 of 2006 requires a brokerage agreement to be in writing and to state the parties, the property and the terms.

Read the duration and whether it is exclusive before you approve. If you sign with several brokers separately, the law gives the whole fee to the one who closes the sale. For how to pick the broker, see how to choose a real estate agent in Dubai.

2. The advertising permit (Trakheesi)

Before your property appears in any ad, online or in print, the broker must obtain a real estate advertising permit through the DLD's Trakheesi system. The DLD requires brokers to provide their marketing contract with the owner to get one, and the permit costs the broker AED 1,000 plus a AED 20 knowledge fee. Since 24 April 2023 ads must carry a Madmoun QR code that lets anyone check the permit. If you find your property advertised by an agency you never signed with, report it to the DLD.

3. Offer, deposit and Form F

When you accept an offer, the brokers prepare Form F, the DLD's unified sale contract, from your approved Form A and the buyer's Form B. It records the price, payment plan, contract duration, both brokers, the DLD fee details and any additional terms, and each party approves it. Form F is what people often call the MOU.

The deposit, its amount and who holds it, is a term you negotiate and write into Form F. A broker who holds a deposit holds it as a trustee under Bylaw No. 85 and must pass it on as agreed. Ask for the receipt and the deposit terms in writing.

4. The developer's NOC

For a sale in a freehold area, the DLD requires a no-objection e-certificate from the developer, requested through the Dubai REST app. For ready properties whose service charges are billed through the DLD's Mollak system, the owners' association management company can issue an eNOC, which the DLD says takes 3 to 5 working days. The DLD also notes that an eNOC is not a substitute for a developer NOC where one is needed.

Selling a property with a mortgage

You can sell a mortgaged property, but the loan has to be paid off at transfer. The DLD's process for registering the sale of a mortgaged property needs:

A liability letter from your bank (or, for an unfinished purchase, a letter from the developer) stating the amount still owed.
Three manager's cheques: to the bank or developer, to you as seller, and to the DLD for the fees.
Emirates ID or a valid passport, and a power of attorney if someone signs for you.

After the transfer is registered, the bank's cheque is handed over so you can complete the process with the bank and obtain the mortgage release. Ask your bank about any early settlement fee well before transfer day; the UAE mortgage guide explains the Central Bank cap on it.

Transfer day at the trustee office

Ownership passes when the sale is registered at a Real Estate Registration Trustee centre. The DLD lists these requirements and steps:

Emirates ID for both seller and buyer, or a valid passport for non-residents.
The developer's e-NOC for freehold areas.
The trustee checks the documents, uploads them to the DLD digital vault, enters and audits the transaction.
Fees are paid by ePay, Dubai Pay, Noqodi wallet or manager's cheque. The DLD gives the service time as about 25 minutes.
The buyer receives the new title deed. The price is commonly handed over as manager's cheques at the appointment.

For unmortgaged freehold apartments, offices and townhouses, the DLD's Dubai Now service offers a fully digital alternative: the contract is generated and signed online and the money and fees go through an escrow account before the electronic title deed is issued.

Who pays which fees when selling in Dubai?

Fee	Amount	Notes
DLD transfer fee	4% of the sale value	DLD schedule: seller 2%, buyer 2%. Customarily the buyer pays all 4%; agree it in Form F.
Trustee office service fee	AED 4,000 + VAT (AED 2,000 + VAT under AED 500,000)	Charged by the registration trustee.
Title deed issuance	AED 250	Plus map fee (AED 225 in Dubai Municipality areas) and AED 10 knowledge + AED 10 innovation fees.
Mortgaged property (if any)	AED 1,000 initial fee, plus mortgage-related fees	Listed by the DLD for registering the sale of a mortgaged property.
Seller's agent commission	Set in Form A	Not fixed by law. 2% of the price plus VAT is customary.

On the 4% transfer fee, the DLD's published schedule splits it 2% seller and 2% buyer, but by market custom the buyer usually pays it all. Whatever you agree, it is written into Form F, which has a section for the DLD fee details. Under Bylaw No. 85, each party pays the broker it appointed, even if they agree that one of them will cover the full fee. Your own broker's fee is due, unless Form A says otherwise, once the sale contract is signed and registered with the DLD. Fees change from time to time, so confirm the current figures on the DLD website.

Do you pay tax when you sell property in Dubai?

Not if you are an individual selling in a personal capacity. The Federal Tax Authority's Corporate Tax guide on real estate investment says that income a natural person earns from selling, leasing or renting UAE property is excluded from Corporate Tax, whatever the amount, as long as the activity is not carried out under, and does not require, a business licence. Its worked example is a resident who sells their home for a AED 400,000 profit and pays no Corporate Tax on it.

Selling through a company, or trading property as a licensed business, is treated differently. If you are tax resident in another country, the gain may be taxable there. Take advice for your own situation.

Risks and drawbacks for sellers

Commission after termination

If Form A is ended, Bylaw 85 lets the broker claim the agreed fee unless fraud or gross negligence is proven. Read the termination terms.

Tenant in place

A sitting tenant keeps their lease. Eviction for sale needs 12 months' notice by notary or registered mail, only at the end of the lease.

NOC and service charges

No NOC, no transfer. Unpaid charges or a slow developer can push back the transfer date in Form F.

Mortgage shortfall

If the price is below what you owe the bank, you must cover the gap with your own funds at transfer.

Unauthorised ads

Ads without a valid permit are illegal. The DLD fines agencies, starting at AED 50,000 in its 2020 enforcement.

Buyer finance falling through

Agree in Form F what happens to the deposit if the buyer's mortgage is refused or the transfer date is missed.

Frequently asked questions

Who pays the 4% DLD fee when selling property in Dubai?

The Dubai Land Department's fee schedule for a sale lists 2% of the sale value for the seller and 2% for the buyer. In practice the buyer customarily pays the full 4%, but this is a commercial agreement, not a rule. Write down who pays it in the Form F sale contract.

Do I pay capital gains tax when I sell property in Dubai?

Not as an individual selling in a personal capacity. The Federal Tax Authority's guide says income a natural person makes from selling UAE real estate, where no business licence is held or required, is excluded from Corporate Tax regardless of the amount. If you are tax resident elsewhere, your home country may tax the gain.

What is Form A in Dubai?

Form A (Contract A) is the agreement between a property owner and the broker who will market the property. The broker creates it in the DLD's Dubai Brokers system using your title deed details, sets out the commission and contract length, and sends it to you to approve. Brokers need a marketing contract with the owner to get an advertising permit.

Can I sell my property in Dubai without an agent?

Yes. The DLD's Buy or Sell Property via Dubai Now service lets UAE ID holders sell a freehold apartment, office or townhouse that is free of mortgages and restrictions, with the contract signed digitally and funds paid through an escrow account. Other sales can be registered at a trustee office by the parties or their authorised representatives.

How much commission does a seller pay an agent in Dubai?

It is whatever you agree in Form A. Bylaw No. 85 of 2006 says a broker's pay is set by agreement, and only by prevailing practice if nothing was agreed. 2% of the sale price plus VAT is customary. Unless the agreement says otherwise, it becomes due when the sale contract is signed and registered with the DLD.

Can I sell a property that has a mortgage?

Yes. The bank issues a liability letter showing the amount owed. At transfer, manager's cheques pay the bank, the seller and the DLD, and the bank then releases the mortgage. The DLD lists this as a separate service, Registering the Sale of a Mortgaged Property.

Sources

Last reviewed September 2026. DLD fees and procedures change; confirm them with the DLD or your trustee office before transfer.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Procedures and fees are set by the Dubai Land Department and can change; confirm them before you sign or transfer.