Deed of Absolute Sale: What It Needs, Plus a Free Template

The Deed of Absolute Sale (DOAS) is the legal document that actually transfers ownership — get it wrong and the whole title transfer process stalls. Here's what it needs and a starting template.

What makes a Deed of Absolute Sale valid

• Complete party details — full legal names, civil status, citizenship, and addresses of both seller and buyer
• Accurate property description — matching exactly what's on the title (TCT/CCT number, lot/block number, area, technical description)
• Purchase price stated clearly, along with the payment terms (paid in full, or installment schedule)
• Signatures of both parties, plus witnesses
• Notarization — an unnotarized deed cannot be used to process BIR taxes or register the transfer

Free template

Copy this as a starting point — like our lease contract template, have a lawyer review before use:

DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

This Deed of Absolute Sale is made and executed by:

[SELLER FULL NAME], of legal age, [civil status], Filipino, with
residence at [ADDRESS], hereinafter referred to as the "SELLER",

in favor of:

[BUYER FULL NAME], of legal age, [civil status], Filipino, with
residence at [ADDRESS], hereinafter referred to as the "BUYER".

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS, the SELLER is the registered owner of a parcel of land
located at [FULL PROPERTY ADDRESS], covered by Transfer Certificate
of Title No. [TCT NUMBER], containing an area of [AREA] square
meters, more particularly described as follows:

[TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION FROM TITLE]

NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the sum of
₱[PURCHASE PRICE] (Philippine Currency), receipt of which is hereby
acknowledged, the SELLER hereby SELLS, TRANSFERS, and CONVEYS unto
the BUYER, their heirs and assigns, the above-described property,
free from all liens and encumbrances.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have signed this instrument this
___ day of __________, 20__, at Davao City.


_____________________________     _____________________________
SELLER                             BUYER


Signed in the presence of:

_____________________________     _____________________________
Witness                            Witness


ACKNOWLEDGMENT

[Standard notarial acknowledgment block — to be completed by the
notary public]

After signing

The signed and notarized deed is the trigger for the whole transfer process: BIR tax filing (CGT + DST), eCAR issuance, local transfer tax, and Registry of Deeds registration. See our full title transfer walkthrough for what happens next, and file BIR taxes within 30 days of notarization to avoid surcharges.

A word of caution

This template is a general starting point, not a substitute for legal review — property descriptions must match the title exactly, and errors here can delay or invalidate the whole transfer. For anything beyond a straightforward sale (multiple heirs, existing liens, unregistered land), have a lawyer draft or review the deed directly.