Buyers budget for the price. Sellers budget for the price. Then, a week before transfer, both discover that the amount that actually moves is different, and the deal turns tense over sums that were always going to be due.
None of these costs is hidden. They are just rarely written down in one place, so we have gathered them here. They differ depending on which side of the deal you are on, so we start with the buyer, then the seller, then put the numbers on a single example.
What the buyer pays
The largest item is the real estate transaction tax: 5% of the deal value, paid by the buyer as set by regulation. It is due before the title can transfer, so plan for it in cash alongside the down payment, not after it. If you are buying with bank finance, you need the down payment and the tax ready together before transfer — a sum that surprises many buyers: on a SAR 2,000,000 villa with 15% down, that is SAR 400,000 before fees.
On top of the tax come the electronic transfer fees and, if a broker represents you as the buyer, that broker's commission. Ask for both in writing before any commitment; we give every buyer we represent a schedule of final amounts before they sign anything.
What the seller pays
When we sell a property, our commission is 2.5% of the deal value, paid by the seller and due only at transfer. There is no upfront fee and no photography or advertising charge, and all of it is written into the marketing agreement before signing. If the deal never reaches transfer, no commission is due. The commission is calculated on the actual closing price, not the asking price.
One more point for sellers with an outstanding mortgage on the property: the remaining balance has to be settled with the bank before the title is released for transfer, and the timing should be agreed with the buyer in advance so the transfer date does not slip.
A worked example
Electronic transfer fees and any buyer-side commission are added to the buyer's column. They are smaller than the tax, but they belong in the same schedule. In this example the gap between what the buyer pays and what the seller receives is at least SAR 150,000 — the figure that surprises both sides when nobody writes it down early. If the price closes below asking — as it did in 68% of our deals — the tax and the commission fall with it, since both are a percentage of the deal value.
The transfer itself
Title transfer is now electronic, through Najiz, so neither party waits at a notary office. But the transfer does not complete until the tax is settled and the deed details match the contract. Most last-minute delays we see in our deals come from a name spelled two ways on two documents, or an amount left unpaid — not from the platform itself. That is why we check the deed, the IDs and the contract details days before the transfer, not on the day.
The transfer takes minutes. The week before it is where a schedule of amounts proves its worth.
Practical takeaway
Before you sign a sale contract, ask for one page listing every amount due at transfer, who pays it and when. If you are buying, have the 5% tax ready in cash with your down payment. If you are selling, confirm that the commission is due only at transfer and is written into your agreement. What is written down early does not become an argument in the final week.