What is the real total cost of buying property in Dubai beyond the price?

On a resale, budget around 7-8% in one-off costs: the 4% DLD transfer fee, about 2% agency commission plus 5% VAT, the trustee registration office fee (roughly AED 4,000 + VAT), and if mortgaged, 0.25% mortgage registration plus bank arrangement and valuation fees. Add NOC and title-deed fees. Off-plan is different: the 4% DLD fee plus a developer admin fee of roughly AED 1,000-6,000 depending on which developer you buy from. On off-plan and direct-from-developer purchases the developer covers our fee, so you pay us nothing. Under-budgeting these is a common, avoidable shock.