Selling your home in Dubai: steps, contracts and fees

This guide is for owners who want to sell a completed home in Dubai, with or without a mortgage. It follows the sale from the day you choose a broker to the day the buyer receives the new title deed.

It covers the three RERA contracts (A, B and F), the developer's e-NOC, the fees on the Dubai Land Department (DLD) sale registration page, and what changes when a bank still holds a mortgage. Every figure comes from a DLD or RERA page we opened in October 2026.

If your home is still under construction, read our guide to reselling off-plan before completion instead. The register and the steps are different.

Before you start: what you need to sell

You can only sell a home registered in your name. DLD's FAQ states that real estate transactions not registered in its registers are invalid, so the sale is not complete until the transfer is recorded.

Have your Emirates ID ready. DLD's sale registration page says non-resident foreigners can use a valid passport instead. A company must be registered with DLD before it can sell.

If you cannot attend, someone can sell for you under a power of attorney, within the powers it grants. DLD's FAQ says a sale-related power of attorney is valid for five years from notarisation.

Step 1: Sign Contract A with a licensed broker

RERA requires brokers to use its smart contracts for marketing and sales. Contract A is the agreement between you, the seller, and the brokerage to market your property. The broker prepares it in RERA's Dubai Brokers system and it needs your approval.

Agree the commission in writing. DLD's FAQ says the commission is set by the agreement and is paid after the sale contract is concluded and registered with DLD, unless the brokerage contract says otherwise. If no sale happens, the broker is generally not owed anything unless the contract provides for it.

Check the broker's licence on DLD's list of licensed brokers before you sign. RERA's brokerage guide also says brokers may only contact owners registered on its green list, so you can register there if you want brokers to reach you.

Step 2: Get the advertising permit and market the home

Your broker cannot advertise your home without a permit. RERA's brokerage guide says brokerages must obtain a permit through the Trakheesi system for any real estate advertisement or marketing material, and the permit number must appear on the ad.

The guide lists the ad types it covers, from print and electronic ads to classified ads, open days and property platforms. If you see your home advertised without a permit number, ask your broker why.

Buyers sign their own agreement with their broker, Contract B, which records their wish to buy through that broker. When a buyer is found, Contract F is created from your Contract A and linked to the buyer's Contract B.

Step 3: Agree terms and sign Contract F

Contract F is RERA's agreement to sell between the seller and the buyer. The broker creates it from your approved Contract A in the Dubai Brokers system, then sends it to the parties for approval. DLD's guide for brokers shows what it records.

• The owner's and the buyer's details, and each party's share
• Any tenancy contract on the property
• The financial details and the payment plan
• The contract duration
• The broker on each side
• The DLD fee details
• Notes and any additional terms

Read the duration and the additional terms closely. They set the deadline for the transfer and what happens if either side does not complete. If a dispute arises, RERA offers an amicable settlement service for Contract F; if that fails, the parties must go to the courts.

Step 4: Get the developer's e-NOC

For homes in freehold areas, DLD's sale registration page lists an electronic no-objection certificate (e-NOC) from the developer as a required document. You request it through the Dubai REST app.

Developers set their own NOC fee and conditions, and these vary from one developer to another. Article 7 of Law No. 13 of 2008 bars developers from charging fees on a sale or resale except administrative costs approved by DLD, so ask the developer for its fee in writing.

Apply as soon as Contract F is signed. The trustee office cannot register the sale without the e-NOC.

Step 5: Selling a home that has a mortgage

If a bank still holds a mortgage, you cannot sell freely. DLD's FAQ says the transfer needs the bank's consent, and DLD runs a separate service for registering the sale of a mortgaged property.

Ask your bank for a liability letter showing the amount owed. If the balance is owed to the developer, DLD accepts a letter from the developer stating the remaining amount. The steps below follow DLD's page for this service.

1. Buyer and seller go to a registration trustee office with three manager's cheques: one to the bank or developer for the debt, one to the seller for the balance, and one to DLD for the 4% fee.
2. The registrar checks the documents and enters the transaction.
3. The fees are paid and a receipt is sent by email.
4. DLD's auditor reviews the transaction. Both parties receive the registration certificate by email, and the seller receives the cheque for the bank to obtain the mortgage release letter.
5. When the release letter is handed in, DLD completes the release, the sale and any new mortgage for the buyer.

DLD's page lists extra fees for this route when we checked in October 2026, including AED 1,290 for the mortgage release procedure and AED 315 for the registrar to release the mortgage. The registrar sale fee is AED 2,100 when the price is below AED 500,000 and AED 4,200 at AED 500,000 or more.

Step 6: Transfer at a registration trustee office

All sales are registered through real estate registration trustee offices, which act for DLD. DLD's list showed 19 of these offices when we checked in October 2026, and its FAQ gives working hours of 8:00 to 17:30.

1. Both parties, or their attorneys, attend the office and hand in the documents for checking. Any gaps are fixed and the files are uploaded to the digital vault.
2. An employee enters the transaction and audits it.
3. The fees are paid by ePay, Dubai Pay, the Noqodi wallet or manager's cheque, and a receipt is issued.
4. DLD issues the electronic title deed and map by email.

DLD gives a service time of 25 minutes for this step. Its FAQ says a sale takes about 30 minutes on average when all the documents are ready.

How much does it cost to sell?

These are the fees on DLD's property sale registration page when we checked in October 2026. Treat them as indicative and confirm them with the trustee office before the transfer.

DLD fee, seller

2% of the sale value

DLD fee, buyer

2% of the sale value

Title deed

AED 250

Map

AED 250 for villas and apartments; AED 225 for the unified map under Dubai Municipality

Knowledge and innovation fees

AED 10 each

Trustee service partner fee

AED 4,000 plus VAT at a sale value of AED 500,000 or more; AED 2,000 plus VAT below that

Developer e-NOC

Set by the developer; varies

Broker commission

As agreed in your brokerage contract

Contract F has a section for the DLD fee details, so the split you agree with the buyer is written there. Read it before you approve the contract.

Worked example: an AED 2,000,000 apartment

Say you sell a completed apartment for AED 2,000,000 with no mortgage, and the transfer happens at a trustee office. Applying the rates in the table above gives these amounts.

Seller's 2% DLD fee

AED 40,000

Buyer's 2% DLD fee

AED 40,000

Title deed and apartment map

AED 500

Knowledge and innovation fees

AED 20

Trustee service partner fee

AED 4,000 plus VAT

Now say AED 800,000 is still owed to the bank. The three manager's cheques would be AED 800,000 to the bank, AED 1,200,000 to you, and AED 80,000 to DLD for the 4% fee. The mortgaged sale fees listed in Step 5 are added on top.

Can you sell online through Dubai Now?

DLD offers a digital route through the Dubai Now app. You create a sale request that generates the sale agreement, both sides sign it, and the price and fees are paid into a DLD-approved escrow account. The title deed and receipt then appear in the app.

• It is for individuals who hold a UAE ID and sign with UAE PASS.
• The home must be in a freehold area.
• It must be a subdivided unit: an apartment, office or townhouse.
• There must be no mortgage or other restriction on it.

The fees listed when we checked in October 2026 were 2% from each side, AED 250 for the title deed, AED 250 for the map, and AED 30 each for the knowledge and innovation fees. The service partner fee is AED 1,000 plus VAT at AED 500,000 or more, and AED 500 plus VAT below that. A request that runs more than 7 days without being signed is cancelled automatically.

What to check before you list

• The title deed is in your name and the details match your ID.
• Your broker is on DLD's licensed list and your Contract A is approved.
• Every ad for your home shows a Trakheesi permit number.
• You know the developer's NOC fee and how long it takes.
• If there is a mortgage, you have a current liability letter from your bank.
• If the home is rented, the tenancy details are recorded in Contract F.
• The duration in Contract F leaves time for the NOC and the bank.
• If you will be abroad, your power of attorney covers the sale and is in date.

Questions people ask

Selling with Long Rainbow

Long Rainbow is a RERA-licensed brokerage in Business Bay, office registration number 52478. We can prepare Contract A, apply for the advertising permit and walk you through the e-NOC and the trustee appointment.

Rules and fees change. Ask us on WhatsApp and we will check what applies to your case.