Here is the sum on a real case: a Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) apartment at AED 1 million, the middle price there this year.
Buying, in cash, about AED 66,000
- Land Department transfer fee, 4%: AED 40,000
- Agency fee, 2% plus VAT: AED 21,000
- Registration office: AED 4,200
- Title deed and small fees: about AED 500
Selling, later, about AED 21,000
- Agency fee on the seller's side, 2% plus VAT
- Some developers also charge a fee to release a unit for sale
Together: about AED 87,000.
The same flat rents for about AED 80,000 a year, before service charges and empty months.
So for the first 13 months, the rent only pays back the fees. Only then does it start working for you.
Hold two years and more than half the rent has gone on fees. Hold five and it is about a fifth. That is why a quick resale only works if the price jumps, and nobody can promise you that.
Tell us how long you plan to hold. We will show you which areas and which units make sense for that time, and which do not.
Source: Dubai Land Department fee schedule and transaction data, 2026. Totals are our own, rounded.