Trustee office
A trustee office is a private centre licensed by the Dubai Land Department where buyer and seller complete a resale transfer and the new title deed is issued.
What Trustee office means for a buyer
Real estate registration trustees are privately run offices authorised by the Dubai Land Department to process transfers on its behalf. On a Dubai resale, the final step is an appointment at one of them: buyer, seller and their agents attend (or their attorneys under a power of attorney), identities are checked, the price is handed over by manager's cheque, the 4% transfer fee is paid and a new title deed is issued, usually within the hour.
The trustee charges a service fee set by the DLD:
- AED 4,000 plus 5% VAT (AED 4,200) where the price is AED 500,000 or more
- AED 2,000 plus VAT (AED 2,100) below AED 500,000
The buyer usually pays, though it is open to negotiation. If a mortgage is involved, mortgage registration is handled at the same appointment.
You will need the developer's NOC, the signed Form F, passports or Emirates IDs and cheques made out exactly as the trustee specifies. Errors in a cheque are the commonest reason for a postponed transfer.
A trustee office is not involved when you buy off-plan directly from a developer. That sale is registered by the developer through Oqood, and no trustee fee applies.
Guides that use this term
Where Trustee office comes up in practice, with the costs, rules and steps around it.
Questions about the buying process?
An adviser can explain how this applies to the property you're considering.
- Current price list and availability, direct from the developer
- No fee to you on off-plan purchases: the developer pays us
- One salaried adviser, not on commission, from first call to handover
