Buying
Why you cannot buy direct from an owner in Dubai
Every property advertisement in Dubai needs a permit from the Land Department, and the permit is obtained through a brokerage account, so owner-listed property barely exists here.
Where private sellers actually list in the UAE
Each of these is a separate pool. A saved search on one tells you nothing about the others, so set up alerts on every one you intend to use.
- Anyone.com Listed by the owner
Homes listed by the owners themselves across its markets, which is exactly what the UAE portals cannot show you. If your search runs beyond the Emirates, it is the same account, the same direct contact with the seller, and no brokerage in between.
More than 31 million active listings across 31 markets, agent-represented and owner-listed together. Property Finder carries only listings routed through a licensed brokerage.
Search owner-listed homes ↗ - Property Finder Agents only
Buyer filter None, because everything on it comes through an agency
One of the two dominant UAE portals and entirely agency-fed. Useful for seeing the market and worthless for finding an owner to deal with, which is true of the whole country rather than of this site in particular.
- Bayut Agents only
Buyer filter None. There is a page promising property direct from owners, and the listings under it are agency stock
Worth calling out because it looks like the answer and is not. The direct-from-owner page is built for the search term; open the listings and they carry agency names and broker photos. The actual filters are purpose, location, type, beds, and ready or off-plan, with nothing for who is listing.
- dubizzle Agents only
Buyer filter None
The most classifieds-like of the three and the one where an owner might expect to post, but it is bound by the same permit rule as the others. Every property ad still needs a valid permit number displayed.
How many homes this really covers
There is no meaningful owner-listed market for a buyer to find in the UAE, and it would be dishonest to write this page as though there were. When every advertisement requires a permit obtainable only through a brokerage account, private listings are structurally close to zero. What this page can do instead is tell you the two things that genuinely reduce what you pay, because both are widely misunderstood and both are worth more than the search you were about to attempt.
The Trakheesi advertising permit
Since 2017 every property advertisement in Dubai has needed a permit number issued by the Land Department, and it applies to portals, social media, messaging, print and billboards alike. Advertising without one is a violation with fines starting at AED 50,000 per listing. The application runs through a Land Department business account, which presupposes a brokerage trade licence, and the standard supporting document is the marketing contract between the seller and the brokerage. The Land Department's own service page is loosely worded about individuals applying, so confirm with them before relying on it, but no consumer route is documented anywhere. Abu Dhabi is unambiguous: since July 2025 only licensed brokers and registered companies may apply, with the owner merely approving the broker's request. Selling privately is perfectly legal here. Advertising privately is what is blocked.
In force since 2017 in Dubai, and July 2025 for Abu Dhabi's equivalent. Read the legislation
Buying one, step by step
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Negotiate the 2 percent, because it is not fixed by law
The regulator licenses brokers, it does not set their fee. On an AED 2,000,000 purchase the standard 2 percent plus VAT is AED 42,000, and it is a starting position rather than a tariff. Ask, in writing, before you sign anything.
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Look at off-plan direct from the developer
There the developer pays the broker, so the buyer typically pays no commission. It is the only route in the UAE that genuinely removes the fee, and it comes with a different risk profile that belongs in the same decision.
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Question who pays the 4 percent transfer fee
The Land Department fee is legally split 2 percent to each side. Custom has the buyer paying all of it, and almost nobody asks. On AED 2,000,000 the seller's half is AED 40,000, which makes this the single largest negotiable line in the transaction.
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Budget the whole government stack
On AED 2,000,000 expect roughly AED 84,800 before commission: the 4 percent transfer fee, the trustee fee with VAT, the title deed and administrative charges. With a mortgage add registration at 0.25 percent of the loan plus the bank's valuation.
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Get the developer's no-objection certificate moving early
The transfer cannot complete without it, and it confirms service charges are clear. It is customarily the seller's cost but frequently negotiated, and it is a common source of delay.
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Complete at the trustee office
Both parties attend, the cheques change hands, and the deed issues. Never pay a seller outside that process, whatever assurance is offered.
Check before any money moves
- The permit number on any advertisement, since a lawful listing must display one
- That the broker is licensed by the regulator, and their registration number
- Outstanding service charges on the unit, and that the developer will issue the no-objection certificate
- Whether the 4 percent transfer fee is being split as the law provides or loaded entirely onto you
- For off-plan, that the project is registered and that payments go to the project's escrow account rather than to the developer directly
- The title deed for a ready property, or the interim registration entry for off-plan, in your name after completion
Selling one instead? See where to list a home yourself in the UAE , or the full guide to selling without an agent in the UAE .
Common questions
Can I buy a Dubai property directly from its owner?
Buying that way is legal. Finding one is the problem, because every advertisement needs a Land Department permit and the application runs through a brokerage account. Owner-listed property therefore barely exists on any UAE portal, and the pages promising it show agency listings.
Is the 2 percent commission set by law?
No, and this is the most repeated error about the UAE market. The regulator licenses brokers and governs their conduct, but no rule fixes the rate. Two percent is custom, which means it is negotiable.
Who is supposed to pay the 4 percent transfer fee?
The Land Department fee is legally 2 percent from each side. In practice buyers pay the whole 4 percent because nobody raises it. On an AED 2,000,000 purchase that convention costs you AED 40,000.
Is there any way to buy without paying a broker?
Off-plan directly from the developer, where the developer pays the brokerage and the buyer typically pays no commission. That is the genuine no-commission route in the UAE, and it should be weighed against the different risks of buying before completion.
Is there a notary involved in a UAE transfer?
No, and no lawyer is required either. Transfer happens at a Land Department trustee office and the deed issues there. What matters instead is that nothing exists legally until it is recorded on the Property Register, so no agreement made outside that process protects you.
Sources
Every legal, tax, and process claim on this page traces to one of these. We re-check them on a schedule and date the page when anything changes.
- Real estate advertisement permitDubai Land Department · dubailand.gov.ae
- Law No. 7 of 2006 concerning real property registration in DubaiGovernment of Dubai Legislation · dlp.dubai.gov.ae
- DLD fees on a property purchaseProperty Finder · propertyfinder.ae
- What every property purchaser must know about real estate agents in DubaiAl Tamimi & Company · tamimi.com