Figures in this article are indicative ranges and worked examples, not quotes or guarantees.
There are two ways to sell an office in Business Bay: list it through an agent and let buyers compete for it, or sell it directly to a cash buyer. Deluxa offers both — which is exactly why we can compare them honestly.
Route one: selling through an agent
An agent markets your office to buyers and investors, arranges viewings and negotiates the price. The cost is the brokerage commission, typically around 2% of the price. What you get in return is competition between buyers — which, for a well-presented office in a good tower, usually produces the highest price.
The trade-off is time and uncertainty: a listing period, viewings (which can disturb a tenant) and buyers who need mortgage approval before they can complete.
Route two: a direct sale to a cash buyer
A direct buyer inspects the office once and makes a written offer. There is no listing and no mortgage condition, so the process is short and certain. The price reflects that the buyer is an investor who takes on the resale or letting risk.
The paperwork is the same either way
- Documents. Title deed, Ejari (if rented), latest service charge clearance, and your Emirates ID or company trade licence.
- MOU (Form F). The standard sales contract, signed by both parties with an agreed deposit.
- NOC from the developer. Confirms there are no outstanding service charges.
- DLD transfer. Both parties (or their POAs) attend a trustee office; the 4% DLD fee is settled, the title deed transfers and you are paid.
Typical timelines: a direct cash sale with clean paperwork can complete within a few weeks. An agented sale to a mortgaged buyer usually takes a few months from listing to transfer.
Which route suits you?
Choose the agent route if price matters most and you have some time — especially for fitted, well-located offices that present well.
Choose a direct sale when speed, certainty or discretion matter more: tenanted offices you don't want disturbed, shell and core units that photograph poorly, or a sale you would rather keep off the portals.
When you ask Deluxa, we tell you in writing in which role we act: as your agent, or as a buyer making an offer for our own account — never both in the same transaction.
Want both numbers for your office? Request a valuation and ask for a direct offer at the same time.