Selling property in Aruba follows a clear five-step process: pricing your property, listing with a brokerage, marketing, negotiating offers, and closing through a local notary. The full process typically takes 3 to 9 months from listing to closing, depending on the property, the price point, and market conditions. Sellers pay agent commission, typically 4 to 6 percent, plus their share of notary fees at closing.

Here is how each step actually works.

Step 1: Get a Realistic Price

This is the single most important decision in the whole process. Overpriced properties sit on the market and lose buyer interest fast. Underpriced properties leave money on the table.

A proper valuation looks at:

• Recent comparable sales in your area, from the last 6 to 12 months.
• Current active listings, which are your competition.
• Your property’s specific condition, layout, and features.
• Whether your land is property land or long-lease land, which matters more than people expect.

We offer a free, no-obligation property valuations for any owner considering selling. It is not a sales pitch, it is a real number based on real data.

Step 2: Choose a Brokerage and Sign a Listing Agreement

Once you have decided to sell, you sign a listing agreement with a brokerage. It covers:

• The asking price.
• The commission structure, paid at closing.
• The listing period, usually 6 to 12 months, sometimes exclusive and sometimes open.
• The marketing plan: photos, online platforms, signage, open houses.

A few things to look for in a brokerage: clear communication, professional photography, an actual marketing plan rather than listing it and hoping, and someone willing to give you honest feedback even when it is not what you want to hear.

Step 3: Marketing

Good marketing matters more in Aruba than in many markets, because a large share of buyers are international and have to fall in love with your property online before they ever fly down to see it.

Strong marketing usually includes:

• High-quality professional photography, worth every penny.
• A short property video, especially for higher-end homes.
• A clear, well-written listing description.
• Placement on the AAR (Association of Aruban Realtors) MLS, where available.
• Placement on international platforms, where appropriate for the price point.
• Social media exposure.
• Signage on the property.
• A clear, easy way for buyers to reach the agent.

Step 4: Showings, Offers, and Negotiation

Once the property is on the market, your agent handles showings for both local and international buyers, often virtual first with an in-person follow-up.

When an offer comes in, your agent walks you through it. The offer will include a proposed price, a deposit amount, any financing conditions, a proposed closing date, and any contingencies such as inspection, repairs, or furnishings.

Most offers in Aruba get negotiated at least once. A good agent represents your interests in the back-and-forth without losing the buyer over small details.

When you accept an offer, the real estate agents will work on the documentation for Compliance. Then once that is approved, you sign a sales agreement (koopovereenkomst). At that point the deal is binding for both sides.

Step 5: Closing Through the Notary Civil Lawyer Office

This is the legal piece. The notary civil lawyer office handles verifying the buyer’s funds, holding the deposit in escrow, drafting the transfer deed, registering the transfer with the Cadaster, and disbursing funds at closing to you, the tax authorities and to the brokerage or agent you hired.

You sign the transfer deed at the notary’s office, or via power of attorney if you cannot be there in person. The buyer pays, the keys are handed over, and it is done.

Timeline Reality Check

A realistic Aruba sale timeline, from listing to closing:

• Hot, well-priced property: from days to 1 to 3 months.
• Standard market: 3 to 6 months.
• Slow movers, whether overpriced, niche, or unusual: 6 to 12 months or more.

A property that has been on the market for over a year almost always has a pricing problem, not a marketing problem.

What Sellers Pay

Typical seller costs at closing:

• Agent commission: 4, 5 or 6 percent of the sale price.
• Notary fees: shared with the buyer per local practice.
• Outstanding utilities, ground rent, property tax: prorated to the closing date.
• Mortgage payoff, if applicable: handled by the notary civil lawyer office.

A Note from Us

We have sold homes that took two months. We have sold homes that took two years. The market does not reward impatience, but it also does not reward stubborn pricing.

If you have been thinking about selling, or are even just curious what your property could realistically sell for today, We are am happy to provide a free, honest valuation. No pressure to list, and no expectation either way. Just clear information based on what is actually happening in your part of the market.

Reach out to Brad & Ellen at Aruba Lifestyle Realty. hello(at)arubalifestylerealty(dotted)com

Your home, your lifestyle. Bo kas, bo estilo di bida.

Updated: July 2026 | Aruba Lifestyle Realty | Brad Croes & Ellen Aartsen