Logo
  • Order call
  • Call management

Property type
No. of bedrooms
Area
Show offers

A real estate sale transaction in Dubai: the whole process step-by-step guide.

27.03.2017
A real estate sale transaction in Dubai: the whole process step-by-step guide.
The process of buying and selling an apartment or a house may differ depending on a country or may have specific issues. We will lead you through the whole process in Dubai.

When you intend to make such a big purchase like buying an apartment or a villa for the first time, it’s natural to have a number of questions, getting answers to which will help you feel much more confident. How does the process of buying and selling real estate property go on in Dubai, the UAE? We’ve prepared a several steps guide to help you navigate through.

  1. The first step is signing a sales contract between the seller and the buyer, also known as form F, set by the Dubai Land Department. It could seem that this is actually the final stage, but not in Dubai. Here it is just the beginning, more like a MoU, an acknowledgement of the intention. Additional terms and conditions are usually attached in an addendum. And here it is — the first time in the whole process, when you definitely will need a professional help from a licensed broker, for it’s an expert’s job to look the document through and fix all possible issues the document may have.
  2. Now, the buyer hands over a deposit cheque in the name of the seller. According to the common practice accepted in Dubai, the deposit amount is usually about 10 per cent of the property’s value. And again, the broker’s participation can hardly be excluded, for before the transaction is completed, this check must be kept by a third person, that is, preferably by the broker. If the buyer defaults on the agreement at a later stage, the check is cashed by the seller, but in case of a successful transaction, the buyer surely gets it back.
  3. After that, the developer of the building or community the unit is located in needs to give you a no-objection certificate (NOC) testifying that the seller has paid all utility bills and other service charges in full, and the developer has no objections against his/her property being sold. As a rule, when NOC is issued, both parties are present: the seller settles any unpaid amounts, and the buyer may be required to arrange for future service charge payments. A charge for NOC certificate is usually paid by the seller. The terms of issue and conditions for issuing NOC may differ in different developers, so here too, professional assistance will be of much help, in order to settle everything down in time before the transaction is registered.
  4. After receiving NOC, you can now proceed to the registration part. For non-GCC nationals the procedure is carried out not by the Land Department itself, but by its special arms, DLD-accredited Registration Trustees (RT). This, in fact, is the very core of the sale-purchase transaction procedure. Both parties (or their legal representatives, if you are out of the country at a time, for instance) must attend the transfer. Registration fee of 4 per cent of the unit’s cost must be paid, as well as RT service charge. The buyer and the seller also provide a number of necessary documents for verification, after which parties can sign the final sales contract. Finally, the original title deed is issued and given to the buyer, along with keys and access cards for the property.

It should be noted also that all of the above concerns only simple transactions for cash sales (non-mortgage), and is applicable only to sales of a ready-made housing (not off-plan). Thus, there are a number of other specific conditions for property sales transactions, which IMEX Real Estate experts can get you information about, and will help you conduct any type of property-related deals.

Latest Availability
RENT
58,500 / year
Ref.No: OF662
Office
1,300 ft2
45 AED/ft2
SALE
6,800,000
Ref.No: AP1113
3BR Apt
3,003 ft2
2,264 AED/ft2
SALE
8,200,000
Ref.No: AP972
3BR Apt
3,750 ft2
2,187 AED/ft2
Latest property news
Send us an enquiry or request a call back
Your name *
Phone
E-mail *
Your message *
*- indicates required
Request a call back
SOGA1  SOGA2
Call management
SOGA1  SOGA2
Lease process (Rent out)
Contract of the lessee and agency.

1 hour

Contract of the lessee and agency.

Required documents:

  • copy of the passport
  • copy of the certificate of ownership
Ad placement

1 day

Ad placement:
  • 20 real estate portals;
  • client base of the agency;
  • profile exhibitions, etc.
Signing of the lease agreement

Up to 2 days

Signing of the lease agreement
Expenses of the seller:

None

Additional services:

Property management

Lease process (Rent)
Contract of the lessee and agency.

1 hour

Contract of the lessee and agency.
Real estate search.

Up to 5 days

Real estate search.

Selection of optimal options.

Signing of the lease agreement

Up to 2 days

Signing of the lease agreement
Expenses of the lessee:

-5% agency commission of the annual contract price

Additional services:

None

Purchase process
Contract of the tenant and agency.

1 hour

Contract of the tenant and agency.
Property Selection

~ 2 weeks secondary

~ 3 weeks new building

Property Selection

Selection of optimal options

Registration of the contract of purchase / sale

1 Week

Registration of the contract of purchase / sale
Customer charges:
  • 2% from purchase at transaction
  • 4% - registration of the transaction at registration
Additional services:

Property management

Sales Process
Contract of the lessee and agency.

1 hour

Contract of the lessee and agency.

Required documents:

  • copy of the passport
  • copy of the certificate of ownership
Ad placement

1 day

Ad placement:
  • 20 real estate portals;
  • client base of the agency;
  • profile exhibitions, etc.
Signing of the lease agreement

Up to 2 days

Signing of the lease agreement
Expenses of the seller:

None

Additional services:

None

the management process
Contract of the owner and agency

1 hour

Contract of the owner and agency
Rendering of management services

1 year

Rendering of management services
Reporting

1 day

Reporting
Expenses of the owner:

5% of the annual rental price

Additional services:

None

Investment Process
Contract of the tenant and agency.

1 hour

Contract of the tenant and agency.
Selection of optimal investment options

From 3 days

Selection of optimal investment options
Registration of the contract of purchase / sale

1 Week

Registration of the contract of purchase / sale
Expenses of the investor:
  • 2% when investing in the secondary market
  • 0% when investing in a new building
  • 4% - registration
Additional services:

Property management