The main routes, compared
| Route | Who places the advert | Cost to you |
|---|---|---|
| Bayut | A RERA-licensed advertiser. Bayut publishes no route for an owner to list directly | The advertiser’s fee, agreed with them |
| Property Finder | A RERA-licensed broker. The verification steps are written for brokers | The broker’s fee, agreed with them |
| Dubizzle (property) | An advertiser “validly licensed by RERA” | The advertiser’s fee, agreed with them |
| A RERA-licensed broker | The broker, after you sign a marketing contract (Form A); you can use one broker or several | No fixed legal rate. About 2% + 5% VAT is commonly quoted, and it can be charged to each side; recorded on the RERA forms |
| The developer’s own channel | Depends on the developer. Emaar’s VYOM (launched June 2025) lets owners of Emaar homes list them themselves | Not published for VYOM |
| Yourself (social media, WhatsApp, friends) | You. The DLD permit service is open to individuals | The permit: AED 1,000 + AED 20 |
| Dubai REST “Private Sale” | Nobody: it is not an advertising channel | Not stated in the DLD guide |
| DealExit | You list your own unit, with your SPA and latest statement of account; DealExit is a RERA-licensed brokerage (ORN 62929) | The First 100 off-plan listings: no DealExit advertisement fee and no closing fee. You pay the permit and the developer NOC at cost. Reservations are open now; listings open later |
- Bayut: every listing must carry a valid Trakheesi permit whose details match DLD records
- Property Finder: listings are verified automatically through the DLD using the Trakheesi permit and the title deed number; how this works for off-plan units is not stated. A listing is rejected if three other brokers have already verified the same permit for a sale
- Dubizzle (property): Dubizzle shares advertiser data with RERA and deactivates invalid accounts
- A RERA-licensed broker: The broker applies for the permit and usually places the advert on the portals
- The developer’s own channel: Whether VYOM covers off-plan units is not published. Ask your developer whether it runs a resale channel
- Yourself (social media, WhatsApp, friends): The DLD treats social media as an advertising channel: show the permit number. Private-chat word of mouth is not covered by any published rule we found
- Dubai REST “Private Sale”: For when you already have a buyer: you name the buyer, who pays through the app. It does not find you one
- DealExit: Verified buyers see three figures together: cash to you, instalments left and total price. Your name stays private until you both proceed
Portal and developer facts are from their own help pages and announcements, read 5 November 2026. Where a route publishes nothing about owners or fees, we say so rather than guess.
The permit every route needs
In Dubai, every real estate advert needs a permit from the Dubai Land Department’s Trakheesi system, and the permit number must appear on the advert. The DLD lists the fee for a property advert at AED 1,000 plus AED 20 in knowledge and innovation fees, issued in about one working day. A broker applies after signing a marketing contract (Form A) with the owner; the DLD service also lets individuals apply.
- No permit, an expired permit or an altered permit number are all violations
- The DLD has fined companies with progressive fines from AED 50,000 that can reach licence cancellation
- Portals are required to match each listing to its DLD permit record
- Social media counts as an advertising channel: the permit rule applies there too
Before you advertise
- Check your SPA
Find the minimum share you must pay before a resale, any lock-in period and the assignment clause. Clear overdue instalments.
- Check the oqood
A sale of an off-plan unit that is not entered in the interim register (oqood) is void (Law No. 13 of 2008, Article 3).
- Get your statement of account
Ask the developer for a current statement of account. It shows what you have paid and what the buyer will take over.
- Choose your route
Decide who places the advert and holds the permit, and how many places your unit will appear.
- Plan the NOC and transfer
The developer’s NOC and the transfer at a DLD registration trustee office come after you agree a buyer. Our guide to selling before handover lists every fee.
Five questions to ask any route
- Who holds the permit, and is its number on the advert?
- Will my unit appear once, or several times at different prices?
- Who sees my name and phone number, and when?
- What is the fee, who pays it, and is it paid only on completion?
- Will the buyer see what is still owed to the developer, or only an asking price?
Where DealExit fits
DealExit is an owner-to-buyer platform. You list your own off-plan unit with your SPA and statement of account; we read the facts from them and show where each one came from. Verified buyers see cash to you, the instalments they take over and the total resale price, together. Contact details are shared only after both sides choose to proceed. The first 100 off-plan listings pay no advertisement fee and no closing fee, for the life of the listing; you pay official costs such as the advert permit at cost. From listing #101, the seller pays an advertisement fee and the buyer pays a closing fee, on completion only and never retroactive. First 100 listings stay exempt from both.
Today, DealExit is taking reservations for The First 100. Listings open to verified buyers in a later step, and owners who reserved hear first.
DealExit does not process the NOC or the transfer and holds no funds. Official fees are paid at cost to the developer and the DLD, never to DealExit.